Gate of Glass
by KAISRE
Summary: The Awakened are individuals who have crossed the limits of human potential, granting them access to otherworldly abilities. In a world piecing itself back together from war, Kuroko brands himself a traitor and turns his back on the Generation of Miracles as Kagami searches for what was stolen from him as one of the dispossessed. AU/Ensemble/Multiship
1. The Resistance

_Fifty years into the second millennia, world order fell to pieces as each country fought for themselves to earn the title of the world's only superpower. After twelve years of fighting on foreign shores, the people of Japan grew sick and mutinied against their own parliament—just like that, a century of peace ended as quickly as it began. Corrupt elections marred the year 2062 and the government was fully militarized._

_To take advantage of the global war economy as well as put down the infighting, the new stratocracy resumed research of the full potential of the human subconscious and its terrifying power. Almost thirty years later, the fruits of this research, called the Awakened, gave birth to thousands of casualties as well as the Generation of Miracles—the miracles of war._

-x-X-x-

**Chapter I: **Welcome to the Resistance

-x-X-x-

Tokyo. Twenty-six degrees Celsius, fourty-percent humidity, zero chance of precipitation. Kagami Taiga frowned and toggled his watch to switch off the weather report. Yawning, he continued to walk down one of the back alleys to his quaint home with his schoolbag slung over one shoulder. More than anything, he was in the mood for a good game of ball, but after fumbling with this morning's pledge of loyalty and serving two hours scrubbing down tile, he was ready to call it a day and try again tomorrow. Besides, unless he wanted trouble with the officers for breaking curfew, he had better head home anyway.

Yeah right—as if he wanted to. Fallible, fallacy, why did it even matter to the dean? They meant pretty much the same thing, right? Whatever, it was done and over with, but thanks to a mild slip of the tongue, he missed the next train and was left with another mile left to cover on foot. Then again, he's seen worse happen: acquaintances he met on the street being locked up, sob stories at the grocery store about husbands being detained, the usual. As long as Kagami had an ounce of stability in his life, he could tolerate anything and belch out the morning pledge like a damned sheep ever since… well that was a story meant for another time.

Flashing red lights of several police cars cut through the dinginess of the scarcely used road as Kagami froze in his tracks, a memory of uneasiness stirring within him. The entire road ahead of him and the surrounding blocks were roped off with military-police (they were all the same in this country) personnel. Now that he was paying attention to his surroundings, he realized that there was no one else in the vicinity—just him and law enforcement.

'_A prison break?' _He asked himself. He shook his head, almost laughing—since when did he have a colorful imagination like that? Calming his nerves, he turned to make a right, but that alleyway was in the process of being taped off as well. Frowning deeper, Kagami realized the only way left without turning back and retracing his steps around the barricade involved going left in the opposite direction of his neighborhood. He could walk around the bridge and take a detour. Man, all he wanted was to get home.

As he turned the corner away from the eyes of the police, a small figure body-tackled him to the ground.

"W-what the—" He was about to let out a stream of expletives when a cold hand covered his mouth and dragged him around the corner.

"…I apologize, that was an accident," murmured a rather soft voice, hand still pressed tightly to his lips.

"Mm-mph—!" Kagami was ready to sink his teeth into the stranger's skin until he finally let go.

"Oh, sorry," was all he said.

Free to turn, Kagami reared his head and bared his fangs until he saw the stranger's face in the lamplight. Anger gave way to shock as his eyes traced a steady trickle of blood running down a pale forehead. Pale blue eyes indifferent to his surprise stared back at him. Looking down, Kagami found the hand that covered his mouth now pressed to a bloody rip on the stranger's sleeve. The ghostly kid was perfectly calm, but obviously worse for wear. What bothered him the most, however, was his age—he looked young, probably younger than Kagami himself.

"Was…Was that from a bullet?" Kagami found himself asking in hushed tones.

"Something like that," the boy answered.

"And you're the one they're looking for?" He gestured over his shoulder, past the building that separated the two from the patrolling officers.

"It would seem so, yes," the stranger replied with equal nonchalance. Kagami tilted an eyebrow before standing up, dusting off his pants and bag.

"Look," he offered a hand, satisfied to catch a glimpse of surprise across the stranger's face. "I don't know what the hell you did, but the both of us are probably gonna be dragged away if we stay here any longer."

The pale-haired stranger accepted the help and Kagami pulled him up with ease. "Kuroko."

"Huh?"

"My name is Kuroko. Kuroko Tetsuya."

"Oh." He didn't expect that from him. "I'm Kagami Taiga. Whatever, chitchat can wait."

As another siren pulled up not to far from them, the two made a run for it, the larger dragging the smaller behind him by the wrist. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he abandoned all reason. Who was this person? Why was he injured? Why are they looking for him, and why was he risking this much to help him? None of that mattered because Kagami Taiga never realized until now how much he missed the taste of freedom, of small acts of rebellion, when confined within these walls. Little did he know, one small act would lead to another, and he would be lost within the hole he dug himself the moment he took the strange boy's hand.

He didn't know how long they'd been running, or if anyone was chasing them, but a strong tug on his arm caused him to slow down. Sticky from sweat, Kagami looked over his shoulder to see what the problem was only to find the sharp end of a switchblade pressed to his jugular.

Impassive eyes that were otherwise harmless turned sharp and critical within an instant as Kagami felt the sweat on his skin turn cold. The first thought that crossed his mind (after a few swears under his breath) was that this was a trap. For what, he didn't know, but then again, nothing made much sense at the moment anyway.

"I didn't ask for an escort," Kuroko said, voice still soft but biting at the same time. "Who was it that sent you?"

Surprise, surprise, he had no idea what he was talking about. Kagami grit his teeth, trying to pull his neck away from the knife, but the other only pushed the blade in deeper until he could count every tooth threatening to break the skin. "N-nobody—you're the one who ran into me!" _'And this is the thanks and apology I get for helping your ass,' _he wanted to add.

He hesitated for a moment and Kagami took his chances, knocking the knife out of his hand and twisting his own out of his grip rather easily.

'_He sure talks big for being this weak.'_

"Ah—" The boy made a grab for the fallen knife until a third unfamiliar voice interrupted them.

"That'll be enough."

Kuroko froze at his feet, outstretched hand several inches away from the knife. The look of fear on his face was more than disconcerting to Kagami as he threw his gaze upwards, looking for the source of the voice.

"Midorima-kun…" he heard him whisper from below. "We should not have stopped."

"'Wonder who's fault is that," Kagami hissed back, heart pounding from… fear? It was fear that threatened to overtake him as he felt something dreadful twist the atmosphere.

"Your sentencing will be minimal if you come back with us, Kuroko," said the newcomer. "I'll let your attendant go if that's what you wish."

Kagami couldn't help but feel a bit irked at that. "Hey, I'm not his attendant, and don't talk as if I'm not he—"

There was a flurry of movement below him as Kuroko shouted with frightening desperation, "_Watch out!"_

All Kagami saw was the flash of sky blue jumping in front of him to intercept a sliver of mysterious green light that appeared and disappeared within the span of a split second. Droplets of blood sprayed through the air, several landing on Kagami himself, as Kuroko fell to the ground and skid from the force of the projectile.

Kagami fell with him on instinct, bending over the fresh wound as he heard more voices overhead. "H-hey, what the hell did you do that for?"

Kuroko, in obvious pain but trying his best to retain a straight face, removed his hand from the bleeding hole in his shoulder. "Kagami-kun, are you tired?"

"What the—no! But never mind that, we need to get you to a hospital or something!"

"I apologize. This was my mistake." Kuroko suddenly grabbed his hand, palm slippery with blood. Kagami didn't have time to cringe when Kuroko dragged him to his feet with surprising strength (where did it come from?), ignoring the bullet wound. "If you don't want to die, keep running and don't let go. Don't look back."

-x-X-x-

In the darkness, their assailant made out the two figures fleeing with hardly a blood trail. Narrowing his eyes, he pointed his second finger at their retreating backs, but he lost them before he was ready to shoot again.

"Smart," whistled his partner who leaned forward against the barrier between the roof and ledge. "He knows where my eyes can't follow."

The man named Midorima smacked him across the head with a glove, his expression nothing short of pure aggravation. "Don't talk like that after being this useless, Takao," he said.

"Relax, relax—we'll probably get the go ahead to chase after them," Takao replied, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, Kuroko at least. Who was the other guy? I didn't recognize him."

"That unrefined oaf? Who knows."

"Eh? You shot at him!"

Midorima pushed up his glasses before fiddling with his earpiece. "People die everyday, Takao."

The other pouted, turning his eyes towards the horizon to see if he could catch a glimpse of the pair. No luck. "But you hit Kuroko—that wasn't part of the objective. What if he bleeds out and dies? Who's gonna get the flack for that, huh, Shin-chan?"

"That was an accident on both our parts. Even he didn't think his friend would open his stupid mouth like that." He gave his earpiece another shake. "And you saw him—it would take more than that to take down someone like Kuroko, no matter how pathetic he is."

"_Eh, Midorin, you copy?"_

"Momoi," Midorima answered curtly, turning away from him. "He got away, should we pursue?"

"_Mmm… Boss says no! You can come back now, actually~"_

Takao's partner did a double take, sputtering, "But we're close; we can't let him get any further—"

He was cut off when Takao plucked the piece right out of his ear. "Shin-chan's just worried because he accidentally shot Kuroko-san."

The resulting screech was loud enough for both of them to hear.

"_Midorin! How could you! I knew we shouldn't have sent someone like you to chase after Tetsu-kun. Ki-chan and Aomine-kun would've been much more careful than you!"_

Grinding his teeth and clearly offended, Midorima grabbed his earpiece back from the snickering Takao. He stopped himself from arguing that Kise's skills were useless for this mission, or that Aomine would drag Kuroko half dead with a body count on the side.

"It was the shoulder, he'll be fine. Now if you'll just allow me to—"

"_You are so not in the position to be making demands, Midorin!" _Momoi hissed at him from the other end. _"And orders are orders. Boss says to get back, pronto. Tetsu-kun can't run forever—we have everything we need to track him down when the time is right, he says."_

He sighed, rubbing his temples. He was less than happy with the order, but who was he to disobey it? "Copy that. Over."

"_Over~!" _There was a click and the taller of the two shook his head before signaling with two fingers. Without another word between them (he tried to ignore the smugness radiating off Takao), the two left the roof.

-x-X-x-

"H-hey if we keep running… !" Kagami gasped as he tumbled over rough terrain, traveling closer and closer to the city limits, where access was strictly forbidden. When Kuroko didn't even spare him a glance, he shouted, "We're heading for the goddamned militarized zone!"

That got his attention at least as a single eye peered back at him. For a stick-skinny guy like him, he sure was determined to run as far as possible without slowing down, wounded or not. "You won't die if you don't let go of me."

The thing was, Kagami didn't want to go any further, but he didn't want to die either. He almost did—that man must have been fucking insane for shooting at him without a second thought. It was Kuroko who took the hit, but Kagami wasn't dumb enough to miss the fact that the stranger had aimed straight for the heart. As much as he didn't want to believe it, this runt saved his life.

Well, then again, _he_ was the one who got him into this mess in the first place.

"Kagami-kun, jump."

"What—?" He barely had time to react when his feet left the ground and the two of them soared unnaturally high over rows and rows of razor wire.

Red eyes widened considerably as the magnitude of what he was doing hit him like a rock to the chest.

'_This is the end of Regime-controlled territory. I-I can be killed for this.'_

Panic set in and his ankles buckled under when he landed. He fell and rolled down a ditch, taking Kuroko with him.

Reaching the bottom was hell as rocks knocked him in several places while the brush tore at his skin and clothes. "Ugh…" He coughed, trying to clear the air in front of him of dirt as his head throbbed. His arms and hands stung. "Hey, you okay there?"

No answer. Kagami got down on all fours, feeling around for the other. _'Don't tell me after all that, this is what kills him.'_

He heard a resounding cough and crawled towards the source. As the dust cleared, he found Kuroko leaning against the wall of the ditch. His face was smeared with blood from the old wound, but it was the entire front of his shirt that was most worrying. He couldn't even make out the bullet hole anymore.

Plainly said, he looked like death in the moonlight. His skin was white, grey even, and his mouth hung open, glistening with blood and spit.

"Shit, shit shit…" Kagami pressed a hand to where he thought the wound was. Kuroko cringed and under the pressure, he could feel his minute trembling. "How far did we run…?"

"….About ten… miles…" Kuroko coughed again.

"That's impossible," he said, pressing harder to stem the flow. The shoulder wasn't a vital spot, but anyone would collapse after losing this much blood. With this guy being the one who practically dragged him this far, Kagami was surprised he was still conscious, much less alive.

"Were you… scared? Anyone… can run anywhere… if… they're… scared…"

"Shut up, you idiot. Now's not the time for your bullshit." If it weren't for the anger brewing in his gut, Kagami would undoubtedly be in hysterics right now. "I was trying to be nice for once and get you to a hospital, but instead, you took us out to the middle of fucking no where! There's no one to help you out here! Even if we do survive this, we'll be shot on the spot for leaving the city limits. What the hell are you planning?"

"It… hasn't… occurred to you…?"

"Obviously! Am I missing something?" Kuroko fell slack and he was left slapping his cheeks in an effort to wake him. "Hey! Don't fucking die—take responsibility for this mess you've gotten me into!"

He raised a trembling hand before whispering, "Stop."

"Wha-?" He bit his tongue when the cold muzzle of a rifle pressed against his cheek.

'…_I'm not even going to ask anymore.'_

"Howdy," came the voice of a woman. "You don't look so great, Kuroko Tetsuya. This guy your friend?"

Kuroko nodded weakly with Kagami frozen between them. He felt a second muzzle pressed to his back.

He craned his neck in an effort to see who was holding him at gunpoint. What he saw was a young woman with hazelnut hair and matching eyes around the same age as him. She was donned in khaki and a leather jacket with several holsters strapped around her waist, legs, and shoulders. Something about the getup seemed oddly familiar to him, but that was the least of his worries right now.

He decided to press his luck. "Yeah… so um, can you not…"

"Oops, sorry. It's regular protocol you know. Can't be too careful."

He afforded himself a heavy sigh of relief when both guns no longer prodded his sore spots.

"Both of you don't look so good… Did you run all the way out here? We could have picked you up from the train station, you know…"

"'Compromised…" Kuroko groaned.

The strange woman suddenly dropped to a crouch, peering into one of Kuroko's eyes while holding it wide open. She held that position for a full minute without receiving resistance before backing off, seemingly satisfied. "Yep, you're the right guy." She straightened her back and saluted them both, but the gesture was far from sincere, almost mocking of the original model in some way. "Aida Riko at your service."

She turned on Kagami, who shrunk under her shadow. "And your name?"

This had to be a dream. No way this was happening—he didn't even know anymore. If only he memorized the godforsaken pledge of loyalty like he was supposed to, he wouldn't be stranded in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by people who were absolutely crazy.

"Ka...Kagami Taiga."

"Well, Kagami-kun," she began, a frighteningly sweet smile on her face, "I couldn't help but overhear your little exchange. I don't know what Kuroko-kun's been meaning to tell you—I'm actually a little curious myself—but all I can say is this:

"Welcome to the Resistance!"

* * *

_A/N: And this is where I would add little snippets such as character profiles to help explain this AU :)_

_All I want to say is, thank you for reading! Please stay in touch for future updates~_


	2. The Heads of Seirin

"The… Resistance?" Kagami managed to choke out. If he weren't already on the ground, he'd be giving in to his shaking knees right now.

The terrifying young woman who called herself Aida Riko frowned, biting one cheek as she leaned the military-grade rifle against her shoulder with the barrel pointing to the sky. "No, the beach," she said impatiently. "You're in Arid territory now, idiot, if the mines and barbed wire haven't told you enough." Without waiting for a response from him, she signaled to someone over her shoulder.

A lumbering man of similar age came into view and the redhead figured he was the one who held a gun to his spine. The stranger slung his weapon over his back before leaning down to pick him up in a fireman's hold. Kagami let out a cry of surprise as he beat feebly against the man's shoulder. He didn't realize how weak he was from running for his life until he found that even now, his legs wouldn't stop shaking.

"Careful with him, Mitobe. We probably have a civilian here."

"Let me go, you bastard—" He snarled rather pathetically as his sentence ended with a yelp when he felt the butt of a gun knock him in the head.

"I said you were a civilian—that doesn't mean you can run your mouth and hurt his feelings," he heard the crazy lady scold before whistling quite loudly. "Alright, retrieval complete—we're going home."

-x-X-x-

**Chapter II: The Heads of Seirin**

-x-X-x-

Kuroko tried his best to hold still as Riko dabbed the scrape on his forehead with a swab dipped in alcohol. "I didn't think you would be this clumsy," she said, trading the soiled puff of cotton for a clean bandage. "It was dangerous for everyone to rescue you that close to the last parallel."

"Sorry," he said. "I realize the trouble I've caused… But is this really necessary?" He held up his hands, bound together by odd handcuffs he had never seen before now.

Riko didn't spare him a glance as she finished cleaning up the more serious wound inflicted by Midorima. "Your kind has killed plenty of my comrades. A simple precaution like this should be the least of your concern." On the surface, it seemed she was threatening him, but the way she laced her words (as she laced his wounds up as well) told him otherwise.

"I've never killed a man," Kuroko rebuked as best as his naturally soft voice could.

"Maybe," she replied, her needle stinging. "But can you say the same for your own comrades?"

Kuroko fell silent at that, looking elsewhere in his temporary lodgings. His legs twitched with each pull of the needle and thread. It wasn't that he was unused to pain; rather, the excruciatingly slow medical treatment was new to him and he found himself growing restless under her working hands. He was used to the fast-working abilities of his old partners back at the research facility in Yokohama.

However, by the looks of the unpainted walls and dimming lamps, Kuroko figured that this woman was going to be the best medical treatment he was going to get here.

Even so, this was more than he deserved. He bit his tongue hard in his own way of scolding himself for his thanklessness. For someone such as her, Aida Riko wasn't unskilled, just different.

The screech of adhesive filled the room as she began taping him. Kuroko finally looked back down at himself, admiring the cleanliness of her stitching.

"Where's Kagami-kun?" He suddenly asked.

Aida raised a brow. "The blockheaded moron that was with you? He has his own room. Which reminds me, why in the world did you drag a civilian across the city limits? You know what that means for him."

"I didn't mean to; he got unlucky."

Unhappy with the answer, she tugged a little harder than necessary on the bandaging. "Is that all you have to say for yourself? Well, whatever." She gave him a little shove off the bed. "We'll take off the restraint when I'm done with analysis. If you're curious, check the room down the hall—don't try anything funny and don't forget this is our turf." He could tell that she wanted to say more to him, so he didn't press her. With a single huff, the Resistance member left him alone to his own devices.

'_What's one innocent life ruined mean to you people anyway,' _he imagined her saying.

-x-X-x-

He found him laying face down on a bed, unmoving.

"Kagami-kun."

"Shi—" he mumbled something else as he stopped himself from falling off the bed. "Stop calling me that."

Kuroko ignored him as he made his way to his bedside. "How are you feeling?"

With a drawn out groan, the young man straightened, shoulders hunched and muscles stiff. "Why the hell am I here?"

"Because we crossed the last parallel under the Regime's control and these people have offered us refuge—" he stopped when he realized that Kagami was seething and on the verge to commit violence. He didn't quite understand why.

"I'm going home."

Kuroko knit his brows at that. "Do you live with family?"

Kagami seemed just about done with him as he forced out an answer through clenched teeth. "No, they died in an accident years ago."

He felt himself relax as he fiddled with the metal chain binding his wrists. "Oh, then you might not be so unlucky—" that seemed to be the wrong thing to say when Kagami lashed out at him with a fist, only to miss and stumble foolishly past his target.

"What the—"

Kuroko continued as if nothing was wrong. "They would have suffered repercussions for your actions if they were still alive." He gestured towards Kagami's unbound hands. "And I doubt the Resistance will stop you if you decide to leave, but I strongly advise against it. You said so yourself, Kagami-kun, anyone found crossing the city limits is shot. You are 'fair game'."

Kagami didn't seem to be listening when he aimed another blow, only to miss again. Except this time, he appeared more focused on seeing if he could actually land a hit rather than taking out his anger on him.

Kuroko frowned again—the situation was perplexing to him as he recalled his training dealing with civilian communication. "Please stop that. You are obviously fatigued, so you shouldn't be wasting your energy like this."

"Shut up. You don't tell me what to do," he growled, "and how the hell are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" He replied. "I haven't moved at all; your aim is terrible."

"It's because he's an External Class Awakened being; known power being illusionary manipulation. You're smaller fry than I expected."

Both men looked over to find the Resistance commander leaning against the doorframe, a smug expression on her face. "Analysis complete," she hummed, snapping her fingers. The handcuffs fell off, hitting the ground with a metallic _clunk_. "A promise is a promise, but don't underestimate us. The moment you step over the line…" She dragged a thumb over her throat.

"Ah," was all he said, blank eyes unreadable like always.

"Anyway," she went on, "Us captains want you in the lounge." She nodded to Kagami. "Got a hold of yourself, yet?"

"His mental state is surprisingly stable for—"

"Would you just _shut up," _Kagami snapped, pushing past him. Kuroko stumbled. "It's about time. I think I'm looking forward to having a word with you people."

Aida Riko only rolled her eyes as he sensed a wave of exasperation roll off her. To his surprise however, she only led them away without dealing a disciplinary blow to Kagami.

-x-X-x-

'_Stable mental state my ass,' _Kagami thought scathingly to himself as he followed the lady commander with the infuriatingly strange boy trailing behind him. '_I've felt like puking for the past hour. I don't know where I am, or what happened back there. I don't even care—I never should've missed the goddamn train.'_

"Don't misunderstand, Kagami Taiga," Aida said to him as they continued to walk down the narrow corridor. "We'll accommodate you soon enough, but now's not the time. We actually want an explanation. Remember that, because Captain Hyuuga hates giving reminders."

For once, Kagami chose to say nothing, instead deciding to steel himself for whatever awaited him past the double door at the end of the hall.

With two uniformed men opening and holding the doors open, the three of them entered a warmly lit circular room. It was homelier than he expected, but then he supposed it wasn't called a lounge for nothing.

The man called Hyuuga was much different from what Kagami initially pictured as well. What he expected was a well-seasoned soldier, someone who was at least twice his age and decked out in a fancy uniform or something. Instead, he was met with another guy who was probably two years older than him at most. The "Captain" had a pair of wire glasses perched on his nose and even with him sitting down, Kagami could also tell his stature was slightly smaller than his.

Was this the same Resistance that the city officials railed against with seasonal propaganda? Was this the same Resistance whose mere existence on the doorstep of the Regime capitol was a source of humiliation for the emperor general?

He could never imagine that these rebels were led by a bunch of kids his age.

"I don't like that look," the Captain grimaced. Cold gray eyes trailed over him before settling on Kuroko, who was quaintly seated in one of the empty chairs.

A retort itched at his throat but Kagami swallowed, feeling that it wouldn't be a good idea to let loose now. Letting his temper get the better of him almost got him killed after all. He glanced at Kuroko, who remained calm and eerily emotionless, even under the scrutiny of both the Captain and Aida. It was quite possible that he was imagining things, but the duo seemed to be staring holes into the other as if he were a mangy dog.

Finally looking away, Hyuuga pressed a button on a remote control-like device. White noise filled the room as Kagami looked about in confusion before finding the source.

He squinted, trying to make out the strange device with an archaic-looking antenna. He had seen something like that before in his textbooks from school. If he remembered right, it was called something like a "radio"—a classical invention that long predated the war. Analogue radios still existed, obviously, but only as a novelty and working specimens were hard to come by.

The voice of a middle-aged man sounded from the speakers, his sentences constantly interrupted with random bursts of static or sound skipping, but they could still make out most of what he was trying to say.

"_4 PM… Shinagawa-Shinjuku line—closed—day… Over fifty casualties—still counting. Train derailment work of terror—ists…—Seirin rebel fac—tion has claimed respon—…—rescue effort—still going underway…"_

Hyuuga switched the radio off. "Like hell we claimed responsibility. None of our men were in Shinagawa, Shinjuku, or in any of the coastal prefectures today. They can paint us whatever they want, but the truth holds—we don't target civilians."

Kagami wasn't registering; he couldn't believe what he just heard. His hands grew clammy as he clasped them between his legs, his pounding heart threatening to give out. His home was in Shinjuku, and he went to school in Shinagawa—the derailed train, which left at four, was the same train he took to and from school every day. If he had followed routine, then…

"I'm afraid I am at fault," Kuroko murmured. "I believed we could meet at the station as planned, but my status was compromised. They derailed the train I occupied, expecting I would survive."

Aida Riko made her way to the front, leaning against Hyuuga's chair and casting an accusing glare at Kuroko during his confession. "We can see that you did, but what about the people in your car?"

Kuroko lowered his gaze, growing paler than he already was. "Their safety wasn't a priority… Witnesses would have been troublesome if either of us were forced to reveal our identities as Awakened beings. I believe they are wasting their time looking for survivors."

A crash resounded through the room as Kagami knocked his own chair over standing back up. Ignoring their startled cries, he grabbed Kuroko by the collar and lifted him from his seat, shaking him as something feral burned within his blood red irises.

"_What the hell did you just say?_" He snarled, teeth bared. "So instead of ending up here, I could've _died!?_"

"If you had boarded that train, it's very possible," Kuroko answered, wincing from his wounds.

"Kagami…" He heard Riko warn him from behind. When he didn't let go, something sharp struck him from behind and he felt all four of his limbs lock up. He stumbled to the side, hissing indignantly as he clutched the spot where Aida apparently struck him with the point of her fingers.

"We understand your feelings," she said, her gaze hard but sympathetic. "But we need you to calm down." She turned to Hyuuga. "This is problematic. We're being framed for the murder of dozens."

"There's nothing we can do for now. It's not like we have our own spokesperson or lobbyist who can just petition the council," he answered, chuckling bitterly. "As for you, I hope you realize the weight of your actions."

He was talking to Kuroko, who bowed his disheveled head in genuine remorse as he sat back down. Still tripping over the shock factor of his situation, Kagami couldn't help but feel a little pity for him (and maybe a little bad for the little outburst)—he wasn't actually the one responsible for however many casualties (at least fifty according to the radio?) that occurred. As far as he could tell, his pursuers were the ones to blame.

Something told him that bastard, the one who shot at him, was probably at fault as well.

"…However," Hyuuga continued, "despite the price of your arrival, we need you on our side. The northern faction is losing territory in Fukushima and sources tell us that the Regime will close in on us from Kyoto. Even without the Awakened on the field, we're in a bit of a pinch."

"Awakened…" Kagami echoed. "You people keep saying that, but what does it even mean?"

Both captains exchanged weighted looks before Aida gave the other the go-ahead.

"Sorry, sorry," he sighed, taking off his glasses for a moment. "I got ahead of myself. You both need to recuperate. Kuroko Tetsuya, you're dismissed—we'll talk strategy… and the rest… tomorrow. Our officers will escort you outside."

Kuroko nodded and left without protest, his gait worn and uneven. Kagami watched as he left, amazed deep inside that he was still able to walk after what they just went through.

Once the door closed, both Hyuuga and Aida returned their attentions to him, and Kagami felt he was being given a taste of the Kuroko treatment. Until he was alone, he didn't realize how much he depended on the other's presence for some sense of security in this strange place despite hating him for cementing him to this mess.

The uniformed man sitting across from him crossed his legs and straightened his back, bespectacled eyes meeting his own without an ounce of fear or hesitation in their depths. Kagami gulped… He was mistaken. While this person certainly didn't look the part, he still had an undeniable aura of reliability… and something else quite frightening. He was staring at a battle-weary veteran probably capable of bringing lesser beings down to their knees, but he'd be damned if he'd be one to bend under the pressure.

"First off, I'm Captain Hyuuga Junpei of the Seirin faction of the Resistance. Second, I'm surprised you don't know, even if you are just a civilian."

"…Just rumors," Kagami admitted without breaking their staring contest. "But I want to hear the truth straight out of your mouth."

"My mouth, huh?" A vein twitched. "I wouldn't be surprised if your own damn tongue got you killed one day."

Unfortunately, he had no good comeback for that since he wasn't far off the mark, but Aida saved him the trouble by smacking the Captain upside the head. "Get over your power complex and tone down the intimidation." She turned to him, arms crossed. "Surely you've heard of them. The Awakened are human beings who've defied reality to assume inhuman abilities. Even if you've never heard the term, there's no way you don't know about the Generation of Miracles. They're hailed as heroes of the Regime, symbols of the scientific breakthrough of awakening… although they have predecessors. Even so, they're nothing short of amazing, as much as I hate to say."

"Yeah, I'm not gonna deny that," Kagami grumbled. "They're hyped up to be gods or something, but even so… no one has ever seen their faces."

Aida tapped a cheek thoughtfully. "That's not a surprise—no one I know has ever seen any of the Miracles up close and lived. Especially for those of you who aren't even in the military, people who live under the Regime are so far removed from this civil war when ninety-nine out of a hundred battles take place either underground or on our territory. Anonymous heroes who protect the 'peace'… it's so effective because it makes us look like the bad guys. It's an effective type of propaganda with classic appeal that never gets old—soldiers with powers whose identities are unknown to the public saving the day go as far back as the twentieth century.

"But times have changed. What we're fighting, it's for real. We're outmanned and outmatched a majority of the time, but while it's true that the government is responsible for the existence of Awakened individuals, you'd be dense to think every one of them are loyal to the Regime." She smirked as she stretched open one of her eyes, fully exposing the cornea. Her eyes gleamed in the light, but as he stared harder, he realized the rings of her iris pulsated and rotated like an ever-changing lock to a safe made of liquid gold.

"Internal Class Awakened being, Commander Aida Riko of the Seirin faction of the Resistance, at your service."

-x-X-x-

"Oi, do you think that was a good idea? Telling him all that?" Asked Hyuuga as he lolled on one of the cushioned sofas. His tan uniform bearing the Seirin emblem covered his chest like a blanket. It was only him and Riko—Kagami had long left and all the others were asleep in their quarters. "I barely got a word in while you ran your mouth."

"Shut up. I didn't really think it through," Riko said. Junpei could hear the pout in her voice as she added, "but he was underestimating me and I didn't like that."

He gave her a disapproving look as she shrugged off her own jacket before collapsing on the ground. "So? He'll probably choose to leave anyway and he won't be any of our business."

Riko chucked her uniform at him. "Like you're one to talk! Always complaining about insubordination, or when another Resistance leader looks down on you." Hyuuga grumbled as he untangled the leather sleeves from his face, only to be met with a smirk. "And yeah, he'll try to leave and we'll have no choice but to let him, but he won't make it very far."

"That's cruel," he remarked.

Riko shook her head. "No, it's not that we're going to let him 'disappear'. He'll come back to us on his own if he leaves. Better yet, he may not leave at all." She let out a happy sigh, stretching out her arms. "Admit it, you just saw how composed he was for being brought outside the city limits against his will. He's not happy about it obviously, but he's not having a real breakdown either."

"I'm not sure what you're trying to get at."

"Come on, did you see the look in his eyes?" Riko giggled, rolling onto her belly and swinging her legs like a child happy with a new toy. "It might take some digging as well as my persuasive skills, but he has _it._ There's always that possibility when you know someone's been wronged before—the grudge never goes away. I think we just found ourselves a soon-to-be recruit."

He couldn't help but frown. He trusted Riko, this was her ability—the ability to differentiate between normal humans and the Awakened. Just with a look to the eye, she could identify and classify their abilities almost instantly as well as gauge the potential of both humans and Awakened alike. If it weren't for her power, Seirin would've been wiped off the map ages ago. It was thanks to her that regular humans such as himself stood a fighting chance against the Regime.

In short, she was the Resistance's insurance. They owed their lives and reputation to her.

"So… what's your conclusion?"

"Oh, he's a normal human. Without the military's conditioning, a person has no chance of crossing the limits. Even then, calling it a super selective process is a major understatement."

"I don't have my objections…" He grumbled, "but I still want that idiot's opinion when he comes back from Fukushima."

"Teppei would want to know," Riko agreed, nodding. "I can't promise anything on Kagami's behalf since potential is useless if you ignore it… but I just really, _really_ have a good hunch about this. What's more is that we have another one of the Awakened in our ranks now, Kuroko Tetsuya. I expected more after he said he was one of the Miracles, but we still owe him for our victory in March. We'll need him, especially with how things are now."

"Yeah, you don't have to remind me." He waved a hand in her direction. Her excitement was getting to be too much for him at this time of night. "You're our commander, so I trust you more than anyone. We'll touch base with Kuroko first thing tomorrow and if you're right about Kagami… well, I'll let Kiyoshi decide what to do with him."

Riko jumped to her feet, beaming brighter than ever. "I'm glad we agree then. Let's call it a night. Don't forget, first thing in the morning!" Almost skipping, she left it at that and wished him a good night before leaving him alone.

Hyuuga sighed heavily as he rubbed his temples. Kuroko was a huge risk… bringing him here already cost several innocent people their lives. Even as he bowed his head in respect to the dead, the young captain couldn't help but feel a little relieved. They were waging a silent war, one that flew mostly under the radar of those living in the oblivion provided by the Regime. While the Generation of Miracles was their first and foremost concern, Hyuuga had the real terrorists lurking in the Arids to worry about as well. Without any discernable goal outside of indiscriminate killing to terrify the populace, the nameless group was a huge pain in the ass for Seirin and the other factions, including Kaijou up north. Thanks to them, the empire had blurred the two separate sides into one enemy of the Regime in order to undermine and defame their cause.

Unfortunately for Hyuuga and his comrades, it was quite effective, but with the addition of Kuroko and fulfillment of his next plan, he'll have the means to fight the battle on both fronts.

Yeah, Riko was right. Things were finally looking up for them. He wasn't gonna miss this now.

* * *

_Riko's Daily File_

_The Regime: Informal name used by the rebels for the oppressive stratocracy that currently presides over Japan and her surrounding islands._

_The Resistance: Refers collectively to the multiple factions scattered all throughout Japan that oppose the current government. _

_The Arids: Refers to land outside the control of the Regime; a safe haven for the Resistance. The name is actually quite misleading, Resistance territory lacks much of the Regime's new industrialization that occurred after the third World War. Therefore, the Arids are filled with uninhabited forests and plains with a few manmade settlements reclaimed by nature. It can be said that the name comes from the fact that these lands are arid in that they are devoid of "civilization"._

_The Last Parallel: Formal term for any strip of no-man's land that divides the Regime from Resistance-controlled territory._

_Seirin: Resistance faction whose headquarters lay just outside of Tokyo. Currently headed by Hyuuga Junpei and Aida Riko. Known members so far include Mitobe, Kiyoshi, and now Kuroko Tetsuya._

_Generation of Miracles: While not the first generation of Awakened beings, they represent the scientific breakthrough and superiority of the Regime. They're viewed as godlike heroes by the populace. Believed to be followed by death itself in the eyes of the rebels since they lay waste wherever they walk, not much else is known about them. _

* * *

_A/N: Here we go, hope you guys enjoy the plot and I apologize since not much else happens aside from Hyuuga's introduction~_

_I'm pretty pumped about getting things started. Reviews are appreciated and thank you everyone for reading and providing your feedback! See you next update_


	3. Never your Choice

_He stands on the edge of a bluff, overlooking the world that stood below his feet. It's beautiful, inviting, tempting, but more than anything, frightening._

"_Come on Taiga, hurry up." He swallows and looks over his shoulder where nothing but empty plains greeted him. It's a lot of room for someone as small as him; he could be happy where he is, but he knows if he keeps running, he'll eventually reach the fences that encompassed the only world he knows now. The way left was forward._

"_Taiga." He looks back over the edge. Half of him wants to follow the voice that called from beyond the drop, but the other half keeps his feet glued to the ground._

"_It's too high," he whispers to him. The wind whispers back, threading fingers through his hair, beckoning him to step away. "Please, just come back… it's too high."_

"…_It's alright. All you have to do is jump…"_

_He never does._

-x-X-x-

**Chapter III: **Never your Choice

-x-X-x-

Kagami awoke with a start.

When he remembered where he was and what transpired the previous night, he fell over the side of the bed, retching into a bucket someone left for him. He groaned and slumped over, wiping the muck from his mouth as he sprawled across the floor. His gut rumbled unpleasantly as he dug the points of his palms into his eye sockets, head pounding.

Someone knocked on the door and he scrambled back to his feet to look slightly less pathetic, although his vision continued to roll like the ocean.

"Kagami-kun?"

'_Fuck, it's him.'_

"What?" He answered, before covering his mouth less he barf again. The door opened, and in stepped the source of his problems. He seemed a bit more cleaned up than yesterday—his soiled bandages were replaced while his torn clothes were exchanged for a plain white button-up shirt, khakis, and a leather jacket similar to the ones worn by Aida and that one guy named Hyuuga.

Another man in matching uniform whom Kagami didn't recognize also entered to take care of the bucket with his puke. Gross.

"How are you feeling?"

That irked Kagami who turned away from him, settling with resting on the bed to stop his legs from trembling. He asked him the same exact thing twice—was he supposed to be making progress or something? He's probably lost everything—his home, his possessions, his friends (with a pang, he wondered if any of them died in the train crash), everything. All he had was an old watch, a phone that wasn't working, and the clothes on his back. How was he supposed to feel?

"Great."

Kuroko tilted his head, expression unchanging. "That's not true."

"If you know then why're you asking?"

"Because it's polite."

If it were anyone else, Kagami probably would've chucked the bed itself at that point, but there was something curiously innocent in the way he said it that made him face him again.

"There's no point if you say that."

"Is there? Then I'll remember that from now on."

He sighed, scratching his head. At least he was relatively straightforward and easy to talk to, despite his quietness. He wanted to ask him why he bothered stopping by if he had better things to do (which Kagami assumed he did, considering the two of them were in the middle of a rebel base or something, where Kuroko was now apart of, apparently), but he decided to play along if he wasn't going to be a dick. He felt too much like shit to be making a scene, which wouldn't of helped his situation anyway.

"Hey," he said. "The girl—I mean—the commander said you're one of the Awakened… or something like that." He felt nosy and obnoxious saying that; it wasn't what he was aiming for, he was just curious. "Is it really true?"

To his surprise, however, Kuroko didn't even bat a lid, or seem the least bit uncomfortable. If anything, he looked a little relieved if Kagami was one to judge. "She's right, otherwise I wouldn't be much use to them. I'm sorry, Kagami-kun. If I foresaw this, I would've explained everything to you beforehand, or perhaps never have dragged you across the last parallel in the first place."

He was taken aback by the sudden apology. Of course, it wasn't enough to make anything better, but a memory from last night played in his mind's eye. He remembered the suffocating remorse that flashed across Kuroko's face when he realized how many people died because of him—his first display of true emotion. He did have a heart. Well, he was only a kid on the run, after all, Awakened being or not. They ran into each other by chance, and if Kuroko had left him behind, who knows what could've happened to him then. Even looking beyond that, if he rode the train at four like usual, he probably would've died in the ensuing crash. From the second that day started, Kagami had no place to end up but here. He had no choices from the beginning, or maybe he just made the right ones.

Kuroko Tetsuya had ruined and saved Kagami's life at the same time.

"Idiot," he growled. "You have no idea how much I want to beat the shit out of you, but don't apologize here. I'm still alive, thanks or no thanks to you, so you shouldn't be the one asking me how _I _am. How are you? Since you were shot and all."

It was Kuroko's turn to be surprised as a hand flew to the site of his injury. He touched his fingertips to the spot thoughtfully, his mouth curving into a tiny smile. It was a weird sight to him, almost as disconcerting as the look of fear on his face from last night. "It hurts, but I'll be fine. It was a small price to pay for saving you."

'_Huh—?'_

"Excuse me, Captain Hyuuga is ready to see you, Kuroko-san," the same guy from before said as he walked in on them without knocking. "I'm to escort you."

"See you later then, Kagami-kun." He gave him a quick bow of the head, the smile still lingering on his lips. "Please rest and think about what you'll do from here. Again, I'm still sorry for what I've put you through."

-x-X-x-

Kuroko knew something was terribly wrong the moment he walked into a guarded room that was far removed from the lounge and living quarters. The captain and commander were seated around a circular table, their eyes dark with animosity that wasn't aimed at him for once.

"It's been less than a day, and your former allies have made their move," explained Hyuuga, lacing his fingers together.

Kuroko didn't expect any less from the Generation of Miracles. How serious the situation was however, he didn't know.

"It's a problem," added Riko, her face pale. "We had a recon team exploring some of the abandoned subways in western Tokyo a couple days before your arrival. Our cameras went offline this morning, and this was what we got afterwards…" She pointed a remote to one of the many monitors placed on the wall. It turned on to show a pre-recorded video feed of a long tunnel lit by sunlight streaming in through cracks from above.

He could hear echoing voices before an awful cry cut them all off. The camera tumbled from where it was as the screaming of men filled both the speakers and Kuroko's head.

He hated screaming, he hated it so much. His neck prickled unpleasantly as he sat rigid in his seat. _'Please stop it. Please turn it off…' _He wanted to say, but he forced himself to watch the whole thing, even as the blood pounded in his ears.

The horrible noise finally died down as someone picked up the camera from behind.

"Hello, hello? Is this still working?" Neither of the three could see his face, but Kuroko instantly recognized the voice. "Well it only dropped so far. I would hope your equipment isn't that shabby, even if you are just rats living in a hole.

"Dear Seirin, you have taken a dear comrade of ours. You also sent five men to their deaths in this hopeless mission. I have killed one, but please don't think badly of me. I'm not a slob like a few of the others, so it was quick. Anyways, you have four men left. I will kill one for every day Kurokocchi spends away from us, which means you have four days. If you run out of time… well, let's hope it doesn't get to that. Bye bye!"

The video ended there and Kuroko realized he was digging his fingers into the hard tabletop, his new uniform sticking to his damp skin..

"We have no proof that they're dead or alive, or if he wasn't lying, whoever he is—"

"—He's one of the Generation of Miracles," Kuroko said. "Kise Ryouta."

The information didn't help the stifling atmosphere. "No wonder he took them down so quickly," Riko said, grinding her teeth. "If you're right, Kuroko, then we'll have to call into question the lives of all our men."

"There's only one way for us to find out for sure," replied Kuroko. "Please allow me to go after him."

A look of alarm crossed both their faces. Hyuuga opened his mouth, but Riko beat him to it. "No way in hell! That's exactly what he wants and negotiation is out of the question."

Their reaction was expected as well. If Seirin lost Kuroko, then those people would have lost their lives for nothing and they would be back to square one. He understood their dilemma, but… "Kise-kun is formidable; you'll lose more of your own people if you don't consider sending me in their stead. I understand the need for others if this is a rescue mission, but please allow me to face Kise-kun on my own."

Hyuuga crossed his arms, staring him down. "Two of our best men are already on a mission in Fukushima, so our reserves are low. Even so, what do you plan to do? Can you fight against him?"

Kuroko lowered his gaze. He was trained to fight, but he wasn't lying when he told the commander he had never killed someone with his own hands. That being said, he was no match for Kise, or any of the others. Even so, this mess stemmed from him being here. He knew more than anyone what the Miracles were capable of, and he wouldn't be able to sit here and watch these people throw their lives away at their feet for his sake.

He was weak, but not without a plan.

"Their number one objective is to catch me alive," Kuroko finally said. "The others are of no consequence to them. If I can distract Kise long enough, you'll be able to rescue your men and I can use my ability to escape on my own. This will minimize the risk of casualties."

Hyuuga was glowering, his brows knotted together. "Don't be reckless. We value their lives, but you're a risk I'm not willing to—"

"Junpei," Riko spoke, cutting him off. " Kuroko-kun has a valuable point. We have to assume we're up against one of the Miracles in this situation. Even if Kuroko is like me in that his powers aren't cut out for direct combat, our best bet is to counter a Miracle with a Miracle."

"Even then, we're still outmatched," argued Hyuuga, his hands balled into fists now. "_He_ would've been our best bet if he were here."

"Well he's _not_," Riko snapped, her voice dangerously raised. "And we can't wait for him. Stop acting like a child—it won't bring our comrades back to life. It's not like you to let your prejudice get the better of you. I want you to trust this person, because people didn't die for you to let him collect dust. I want you to remember that we're both Awakened beings, and if you can't trust him, trust me at least."

Both young men were surprised with the outburst. Kuroko glanced towards Hyuuga who seemed to have been shocked back to his senses. Humbled, the captain blinked slowly, apologetic when he realized her insinuation—if he couldn't trust Kuroko for what he was, then he had no right to trust her as well.

"Sorry, Commander," said Hyuuga. "What's the plan? We have to work quickly."

Satisfied, Riko visibly relaxed in her seat, although she retained some level of intensity considering their situation. "We'll dispatch a recovery team alongside you and Kuroko-kun. We'll let him go ahead to confront Kise Ryouta on his own with backup from the shadows. If Izuki-kun were here, we could gauge his position and keep an eye out for any traps, but since he's not, I'll compensate with my support from HQ. If any of you get a good look at Kise, then I'll be able to put together a good analysis for our use. Then we'll proceed with Kuroko-kun's initial plan."

Kuroko felt himself relax as well when Hyuuga appeared to be in consensus with the proposal. Aida Riko was a resourceful leader. Since Kise-kun was involved and their best soldiers were already occupied, their options were limited, but she was making do with what they had—him. He knew she naturally distrusted him at first, but after weighing the consequences if he were to betray them, she made her decision.

Why would the Generation of Miracles be this determined to retrieve their double agent, if he were one, after all?

-x-X-x-

Hyuuga handed over a blade half the length of his arm and Kuroko accepted it, unsheathing it curiously. It was a straight-edged short sword without a guard or visible pommel, only a textured hilt with four grooves for his fingers.

"It's a high-frequency vibration blade," Hyuuga explained as Kuroko continued to study the weapon. "It's our number one tool against the Awakened. The vibrations send shockwaves that temporarily disable an Awakened being from using their powers. The shockwaves are only enabled on contact to save power and your energy. Vibrating, it can cut through almost anything; otherwise, it's a non-lethal weapon, so your primary weapon would still be a gun."

Kuroko slid the pristine blade back into its scabbard before attaching it to the holster around his waist. "Thank you, Captain."

Hyuuga waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. I have to give you some means to fight, don't I? Now you don't have an excuse to let us down."

"Of course."

Hyuuga scratched a spot behind his ear, looking unsure of himself. "You seem strangely eager to meet your ex-teammate. It's hardly been a day—are you sure you want to go through with this?"

For a minute, Kuroko chose not to answer him as he tightened the belts around his thighs, sliding a pistol and spare ammo into the holsters.

"…I would rather not," he finally admitted. "No matter who's right or wrong, nothing changes the fact that I betrayed them. If I had a choice, this would not be an option I would be willing to choose so readily. However, given the circumstance, I do _not_ have a choice. The lives of your—our—comrades are on the line; this is the best course of action."

He sensed the other's surprise at his choice of words, but he didn't object to them. Rather, he only chuckled despite himself.

"Heh, sorry. You sound like you do have a sense of purpose after all. I guess that's one thing I can like about you." He slapped him on the back before walking ahead of him to gather the others. "This will be your first mission then. Don't make it your last and follow your captain to the end of it."

Kuroko blinked, staring after his back. He felt emotion tug at his lips as he replied with reverence, "Yes, sir."

-x-X-x-

As per Commander Riko's instruction, Kuroko and the others found themselves retracing the steps of the first team through the abandoned tunnels beneath Tokyo. It was commonly known that the subway was a daily and prominent aspect of life in the past. However, during the war, these very tunnels doubled as bomb shelters and homes for the dispossessed. To help soothe memories of the war, the government shut down their use and blocked them off, resorting to above-ground transportation.

"This is where we part, Kuroko. We traced the signal to around 200 meters from here. If you walk straight down this tunnel and make two rights, then you should find Kise Ryouta. The camera on you is Riko's eyes; just follow her instructions. My men and I will disperse from here and surround the area, so you won't be alone. Good luck."

"Thank you, Captain. Please stay safe."

Hyuuga snorted. "Don't underestimate your captain when I should be the one saying that to you. Now go—they can't wait all day for us."

Kuroko nodded before following his directions. He took in deep breaths, holding his gun close to his body as he jumped down onto the abandoned tracks rusty from disuse. He was really doing this—he turned his back against the Generation of Miracles once, and now he will face against them soon enough.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous, but men's lives were in danger because of him. All he had to do was lead Kise away and distract him long enough for Hyuuga to pull in and finish the operation. Blinking once to calm his pounding heart, Kuroko reached deep within himself, beckoning the quiescent power before taking the first step. In the eyes of his new allies, his image wavered like a mirage before vanishing completely.

-x-X-x-

The sound of beeping computers, bubbling solutions, and their best sharpshooter typing furiously away before a monitor in the dark greeted her when she stepped through the automatic sliding doors. Skipping over wires and passing through large, unoccupied cylindrical chambers, Satsuki finally found who she was looking for.

"How's he doing?" She asked the green-haired Miracle, dragging her fingers delicately across the glass.

"He's doing the usual," answered Midorima. "Not particularly above or below normal performance."

Satsuki pouted, stepping away from the giant tube and closer to lean obnoxiously close over his shoulder and skim over the computer code. "You know what I mean, Midorin. Why don't you turn on the light for once? It's bad for your eyes."

"Your humor is impeccable." Midorima pushed up his glasses with bandaged fingers, eyes glinting in the darkness. He finally turned away from whatever he was working on, too distracted to continue. "He'll wake up soon, if that's what you were asking about. Have you people managed to drag back that simpleton yet?"

Satsuki beamed, straightening her back as she clutched her signature clipboard close to her breast. "Ki-chan's on it."

Midorima scoffed unceremoniously, throwing his gaze elsewhere with poorly-veiled displeasure. "So they sent that stupid fox. I ache to see what sort of trouble he'll find himself in."

She frowned at that, disapproving of how he spoke of their mutual teammate. She still hadn't forgiven him for shooting Tetsu-kun (after he returned, she found that he actually shot him twice, the first shot knocking him down three stories. She had a field-day with him after that, much to the entertainment of the other Miracles) but she could understand his feelings. He was still sore about being taken off the recovery mission. It wasn't that he really liked Tetsu-kun, as far as she could tell anyway; he probably felt that the change in plans was a blow to his pride.

Midorin was funny sometimes. Petty, but funny, and she liked that about him.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a sharp _crack_ split the air. She jumped away from the source, a hand muffling her scream as she clipboard clattered on the ground.

Midorima cursed, jumping to his feet. "Not again—"

Both stared at the only occupied chamber in the room that was filled to the top with a viscous, bubbling liquid. Its occupant stared back at them both uncaringly as he pressed another hand to the spreading crack in the glass. A ripple of muscle, and the whole thing shattered, spilling its contents everywhere, person included.

Although Momoi had seen something like this happen several times in the past, she couldn't help but watch with a sad sort of fascination. The man supported himself on all fours, his back snaking as he wiggled from the broken glass, carelessly dragging his knees over the shards. He wore nothing but a metallic collar embedded into his skin, his bulging muscles glossy from the ooze and his navy blue hair plastered to his scalp like a second layer.

"That's gross, Dai-chan." She lifted her shoe, liquid dripping from the sole. There was no use salvaging her clipboard.

Midorima seemed more grossed out than she was however. At least she had some amount of tolerance for her best friend. "Every damn time. Can't you just wait for me to let you out the normal way?"

"You take too long, I'm not a fucking fish that can just float in a tube," he snarled, pushing himself to his feet. "Throw me a towel."

Midorin gladly did, grabbing one set aside on his chair before tossing it at him from where he stood. "Thought you would never ask—you're the most unsightly thing I've seen all day."

He seemed to have caught a whiff of Midorin's bad mood as he tilted his head curiously, letting his hair drip even as he held the requested towel. "Sorry—is it my huge di—?" He didn't have a chance to finish when she finally forced herself to slosh through and punch him in the back of his head.

"Don't tease Midorin!" She said indignantly, puffing out her cheeks. "He's been taking good care Aomine-kun!" That was his name, Aomine Daiki. He was her childhood friend and she had spent every day of her waking life by his side. He was a huge jerk, brash and insensitive, kind in his own way, terrible and cruel in everything else. Amongst the rest of the Miracles, he had the highest body count by a long shot.

Momoi bit her lip. No matter what spilled out of the mouths of others, she would never say it herself. Aomine was her friend, after all.

"Yeah, yeah…" He brushed her off for a nuisance which only made her bristle more. He walked past her, the cuts on his hands and knees sealing up almost instantly. He wrapped the towel around his waist after drying himself off, searching for his actual clothes.

"Where's Tetsuya?" He asked, his normal voice a low growl. "I thought you'd be clinging to him instead of hanging around here."

"He left," answered Midorin curtly before she could.

"Oh?" He found what he was looking for and began to dress himself in full view of the others. "When's he coming back?"

"He defected."

Momoi lowered her gaze at that. Midorin was wrong. Tetsu-kun didn't defect, he would never betray them—they were all he had. Ki-chan would bring him back to his senses; she trusted him to.

Dai-chan paused halfway through buttoning an ironed black shirt with the silver emblem of the Empire embroidered into the sleeve. For a minute, he just stood there, expression hidden from them. When he didn't say anything, Momoi couldn't help but fear what would come next.

But the Miracle only sighed, finishing with his buttons.

"But he'll be back soon," Momoi tried, unsure if she was trying to placate him or herself. "Ki-chan is out getting him right now!"

Aomine only laughed, it was a heartless sound, low and dry in the back of his throat. "Don't sound so hopeful, Satsuki—it's depressing. Even if that guy does manage to drag Tetsu back, what makes you think he'll settle back in unscathed? They'll kill or make him regret every decision in his life—either way, it won't be the same."

Satsuki was frozen to the spot, but it was Midorin who stepped towards him, emerald eyes unforgiving behind hard glass. "Watch what you say."

Aomine snorted, nodding his head back as he stretched and rolled his shoulders. When he caught a glimpse of her expression, his eyes narrowed but he relented. "Whatever. Take it how it is. I'm gonna go let the others know I grew my arms back. Later."

Neither of them said anything to him as he left. Momoi only crouched close to the ground, picking up her soaked clipboard and drawing swirls into the slime with her pen. She felt something in her nose burn as her heart twanged painfully. "He's wrong…" She wanted to scream, beat his chest for saying that about Tetsu-kun as if he knew everything. She wanted to deny everything he said, but the rational side of her knew there was some truth in his words.

"He didn't mean it," Midorin said to her, trying his best to sound gentle. "He's probably just as upset as you."

"I know," Momoi sniffed, wiping her nose. "We both love Tetsu-kun. Dai-chan… well…" She tried her best to smile as she stood back up, holding the filthy papers to her chest again.

"Thanks, Midorin," she said. "I'll help you clean up." Before he could accept or deny the offer, she rushed off to find a mop.

She didn't mind. Time and time again, the boys could break what they wanted, make a mess of what they wanted, and she would always be here to clean up after them and their childish whims.

* * *

_Riko's Daily File_

_**Kuroko Tetsuya  
**__Age: 17 Years  
__Height: 168 cm  
__Weight: 57 kg  
__Blood Type: A  
__Class: External Type  
__Known Power: Illusionary Manipulation  
__Weakness: Physical shortcomings; under analysis__  
_

_**Aida Riko  
**__Age: 18 Years  
__Height: 156 cm  
__Weight: That's a secret!  
__Blood Type: A  
__Class: Internal Type  
__Known Power: Essentially a power scan  
__Weakness: What weakness!?_

* * *

_A/N: And here's the third installment, thanks for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it!_

_I'll be off to Fanime this weekend, will I hopefully be seeing any of you guys there? (I'll be cosplaying an altaria gijinka and Xion from Kingdom Hearts). I'm so excited, this will be my third time going to a con haha._

_See you guys later, ciao~_


	4. Image of his Back

"_Kuroko-kun, do you copy?"_

"Yes," he breathed, hugging himself close to the damp walls. The dank, endless tunnels that smelled of mildew were too reminiscent of the days he spent training alongside the others, but he shook his head, gripping his gun tighter. He shouldn't be so sentimental.

"_Hyuuga forgot to tell you something about the high-frequency vibrations blade. The weapon is invaluable, but it's also indiscriminate. While it's mainly the shock from being sliced open that stuns an Awakened one, I would still be extremely careful using it—the residual vibration might have a negative effect on your own powers," _Aida warned him from the other end. _"So if you use it with the power on, you can't rely on your illusions."_

Kuroko bit his lip; he had an idea that there was some sort of drawback to him using a weapon designed to counter Awakened ones. If these two abilities couldn't be used simultaneously, then a sneak attack was out of the question.

"I understand, Commander," he murmured into the earpiece—if Hyuuga's intel was correct, then Kise-kun was just around the corner. "But on another note, I apologize. 'Illusions' is too broad of a term for my powers. There are strict limitations on how much I can deceive an opponent; a more correct term would be 'misdirection'."

He heard a sigh. _"Unless it pertains to our situation right now, we can wait to polish and flesh out your profile."_

"Yes, Commander."

-x-X-x-

**Chapter IV:** Image of his Back

-x-X-x-

It was the smell that got him first. Then it was the sight of it when he stepped into it by accident. He found a messy trail of blood that began at his feet, and continued onwards into the darkness. Kuroko approached the sound of gushing water as his eyes never left the red. The same sense of foreboding he experienced during his run in with Midorima-kun settled deep within his gut while the commander remained oddly quiet on the other end.

He finally reached the concrete shore of a waterway that ran underground. On the other side, his gaze found an all-too familiar young man leaning against the opposite wall. It felt like ages since they last met, but he looked the same as ever with his bright yellow hair and matching eyes that reminded him of a conniving fox. He was donned in a plain black button-up shirt and matching pants over a pair of polished shoes, looking like he was dressed for a stroll in the city rather than a mission, but then again, that's what they all wore whether they were indoors or on the field. Five figures wearing the same uniform as Kuroko laid at his feet.

He stiffened, refusing to look away as per Aida's instruction with his gun pointed at the ground and his blade strapped to his waist. On the other hand, Kise-kun appeared unarmed. In fact, he was entirely open to a clean shot to the head or chest, but it was unlikely that Hyuuga and the others were in position to do so. It would also be a bad idea to ask aloud for an update on their status; he trusted Riko or Hyuuga to give him the heads up when the time came.

When Kise noticed his arrival, his golden eyes brightened like no other as he eagerly straightened up, opening his arms like he was welcoming an old friend. "Kurokocchi—! I knew you'd come but…" The light in his expression dimmed a bit. "Why are you wearing those ugly clothes?"

He was talking about his Seirin uniform, a far cry from the same black he used to bear as well. "What is this, Kise-kun?" He asked, gesturing toward the scattered men who lay motionless.

Kise blinked and tilted his head as if he were genuinely confused with his tone. "What does it look like to you? I did what I had to do to make them let you go, and it worked!" He held out a hand, reaching for him from across the water. "So let's go back already, Kurokocchi. Midorimacchi's sorry and I know the others will be glad to have you back again."

Kuroko stared hard—to his horror, a part of him drank into the blonde's words, aching to take his hand and return to his old home, but he held fast against those sentiments.

To his relief, the commander's voice spoke into his ear, reminding him of his objectives. _"Kuroko-kun, please keep a clear head here. He's an Internal Class Awakened being. As you probably know already, he can imitate your voice, appearance, and skills. I'm working on his weakness right now. Please be careful."_

She sounded just as nervous as he was. Kuroko allowed himself to blink before returning his gun to his holster—it was no use to him at the moment. "I can't do that, Kise-kun. Please don't ask me again."

The open hand faltered but Kise didn't give up on him. "It's okay; I'm strong. I can hold them all back if it'll help you escape from that hellhole. I won't let them take you again." He was almost pleading, the look on his face more than hopeful—ironically, he stood out like a sore thumb amongst the grime and blood. "Come on, any longer here would be too much."

Kuroko couldn't do it anymore. He disobeyed his order and closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I already escaped once, Kise-kun," he told him. "I can't—I won't—go back with the others. I'm here for my comrades; otherwise, this is goodbye between you and me."

Those eyes widened, the smile slipping from his face as fast as his arms dropping to his sides. First, it was disbelief that replaced his hope. Then it was denial, hurt, and finally—

His first step was a blur as the golden-haired Miracle cleared the water in a single leap. Kuroko's hand flew to a weapon, any weapon, at his side. He grabbed the first handle he touched the moment Kise tackled him to the ground.

"_Kuroko-kun!"_

The two of them slid down the clammy ground as Kuroko coughed, the air knocked clean out of him. Heavy weights pressed down on his arms as Kise bent over him, his eyes devoid of any kindness or innocence from before. He stared into the aureate depths of a wounded animal.

"You don't get it, do you?" He growled darkly into his ear. Kuroko struggled against the grip on his wrists for his half-drawn blade. "I wasn't asking, Kurokocchi. I will break your legs and drag you back if I have to, if it means you won't betray us a second time."

His arms bulged as he strained against his hold, but it was no use—Kise pressed all his weight onto him, determined not to let him move a single inch when both of them knew it took only one weak link for Kuroko to slip away. Inside his head, he secretly thanked the fact that both his hands were occupied, otherwise he was almost afraid that Kise would slit his throat right then and there.

"_Kuroko," _buzzed a voice. It was Hyuuga this time. _"Sorry this took so long, the perimeter was already surrounded, but I broke through. I can't get a clean shot though—you're too close."_

Kuroko grunted in acknowledgement as he struggled to lift at least his torso from the ground, to no avail. His efforts only infuriated Kise-kun even further.

"Why are you fighting, why do I have to hold you down, Kurokocchi?" The hurt in his words was as painful as the burning in his arms, but Kuroko figured it was intentional. "If you don't come back now, who knows what they'll do to you once they _do_ get their hands on you. We'll always be comrades, so I don't want to hurt you."

-x-X-x-

He didn't understand. He didn't understand why Kuroko left, why he continued to struggle like this even after Kise found him here, in this shithole.

"No," he hissed at him through teeth clenched in pain, his normally calm eyes burning with defiance. It hurt… it hurt a lot to be on the receiving end of that look from Kurokocchi. For the first time, the possibility that '_we aren't friends anymore'_ seemed all the more likely. No, he couldn't... He couldn't accept it no matter what. "I came, Kise-kun. You only said one, and I came, but the others—"

"Why do you even care about them?" He cried out angrily, his limbs shaking. He could hardly believe his ears right now—Kurokocchi was worried about faceless traitors of the Empire; he hadn't even uttered a word about the others. Hell, Kise himself didn't even care about the Empire, or Regime, or whoever won this decrepit war, but family was everything to him. The others were all that mattered, all he had, and here Kuroko was, refusing to walk back of his own free will. The thought was infuriating, enflaming. His iron grip tightened but faltered for the shortest moment as he straddled him, vision flashing red.

"_Ki-chan, your heart rate is skyrocketing—please calm down!" _He heard Momoi say. She said something else, but he blocked it all out. Only Kuroko was worth his attention right now.

"I did it _because_ I knew you would come, so I didn't need them. What's five rats to you, you who's a part of the Generation of Miracles? The entirety of the Arids, of all the cities of Japan are nothing compared to what we are," he said, struggling to make him understand that he made a mistake, that he didn't need trash when he had _them_.

Kuroko stopped fighting against him for the time-being, though his glare was just as intense as ever. "You're wrong, Kise-kun," he replied, aggravatingly unafraid. "We aren't above people, we never were."

"But without us, the world would fall," he argued, the corner of his open mouth twitching. He had to keep trying—he was better than Midorimacchi. If he had to break every single bone in Kurokocchi's body and tear off his limbs in order to save him, then so be it, but he'd be damned if he didn't try to convince him, to understand him first. "Let's say you're right, but you're still one of us and nothing can change that. We met twelve years ago in the lab, don't you remember? It was you, me, Aominecchi, and Momoicchi. Just us. Don't tell me you're ready to leave that all behind for a fake dream."

Kuroko shut his eyes as he shivered from beneath him. He pressed on.

"We can forget this happened," he continued, shaking him by the shoulders. "I don't know what made you run away, but we can go back and we'll make things as they were before. Aominecchi will wake up soon, he won't even know you left in the first place. What do you say, Kurokocchi?"

The younger boy reopened his glassy eyes. When Kise swore he was holding back at least one tear, something within him stirred—his words were finally reaching him. They would make it out of this.

"Kise-kun…"

"Yeah?"

"Forgive me."

His eyes widened as he felt the faintest presence shift and appear behind him. Kurokocchi vanished from beneath him and Kise realized he had been pleading his heart out to the bare ground. Something within him grew cold.

He threw himself to the side as a razor-sharp blade nicked him in the shoulder. He rolled back to his feet, taking out the bloodied knife from his sleeve to find Kurokocchi standing where he had been a mere moment before, holding a familiar sword that trembled with blue electricity running along the edge. He recognized it as a weapon made to clip the wings of his, of _their_ own kind so they'd be easier to kill. He clenched a tingling hand. As if anyone could kill him, much less Kurokocchi.

"Kurokocchi, you…"

"_This is serious, Ki-chan. I tried to warn you." _He could hear Momoicchi again now that he wasn't under Kuroko's manipulation anymore. Leave it to her to be reasonable, but Kise was done with reason. _"Eek—! Your levels are out of control! Even if it's Tetsu-kun, you shouldn't fight him in this condition."_

Kise chuckled. "Sorry… I'm just trembling from… excitement. Hey, if I took on your form, do you think I could be more convincing?"

He swore he could hear her huff on the other end. _"I wouldn't allow it."_

Kise only shook his head. She wouldn't say it herself in this situation, but he knew better than anyone that Momoicchi would rather have him let Kurokocchi go than fight him. He didn't want to be the one to hurt him, but Kise swore he would bring him back. It was for his own good.

"I won't hold back, Kurokocchi. Even if it's you."

The blue-eyed ghost finally turned to face him head on, his expression unreadable for the most part, but if Kise could say it wasn't his own imagination, there was some sorrow in those depths of his.

-x-X-x-

On her cue, Kuroko slipped away the moment desperation overtook Kise-kun. It was only a fraction of a second, but it was all he needed.

"_His weakness is anything he can't see. In other words, it's you."_

He stood behind him and watched as his old friend begged the single illusion he allowed him.

"_He's emotionally volatile, take advantage of it."_

'_Heartless,' _he thought to himself as Kise sniffed and trembled, still unaware that he was talking to a fake. Kuroko drew the blade at his side, his hand shaking uncontrollably when he felt the shockwaves travel up his arm. The commander was right; the weapon was a double edged sword and he had to make this blow count.

"Forgive me."

His aim wasn't to kill Kise, it never was. When he gave him the first cut upon the shoulder, the hurt on his face transcended physical pain as Kise jumped away from him, finally drawing his hidden knife. Kuroko raised a hand to the device in his ear, switching off both audio and camera to cut himself off from HQ. This was between the two of them.

"I won't hold back, Kurokocchi. Even if it's you," he told him, his words trembling.

Kuroko closed the distance between them, switching his sword off with a flick of the wrist. He swung and Kise dodged it with ease, knocking him backwards. Kuroko stumbled to the edge, a few inches away from the gushing water.

He steadied himself. "...I can't go back, Kise-kun," he said, wincing as he held his stomach where Kise struck him. His wounds from the other night were far from healed, and he couldn't exert himself too much less he rip his stitches. "I still have to do something."

Kise fumed, slowly approaching him. He tried to take a step back, almost slipping in the process.

"Then tell us what!" He demanded. "You left without saying a thing, without telling anyone. How are we supposed to understand you if you don't trust us?"

Kuroko lowered his gaze. Things could be easier than this. Things would be easier if he had never left, but Kuroko had prepared himself for this. If the Generation of Miracles could blindly follow what their hearts felt, then they wouldn't be what they are now. He finally regained eye contact with the other as he said, "Goodbye, Kise-kun."

He saw something real, something genuine crumble from behind the windows to his soul as the copycat let out an anguished cry. Kuroko won. As Kise lunged for him, he granted him one more dreamless illusion as his sword tore through his middle. Without another word, Kuroko watched and allowed his former comrade to fall into the water.

A bullet sliced through the air where Kise's head was a split second before, taking out a chunk of the wall opposite of Kuroko. He traced the bullet's path to find Hyuuga perched upon a ledge, a rifle and tripod resting before him.

"If you left your microphone on, I would've given you a warning," the Captain said.

"Sorry," Kuroko replied. "I must've turned it off by accident."

Hyuuga collapsed the gun and dropped from the ledge to meet him. "You screwed up twice, Kuroko," he grumbled. "I would've taken him out if you hadn't knocked him into the drainage."

"I'm sorry," he said again, watching as the water continued to flow downwards, with Kise no where to be seen.

"Whatever, I'll deal with you when we return." Hyuuga thumped him twice on the back. "Can't help, but worry, huh? He was an old ally of yours after all. It would take more than that to take down a Miracle, otherwise we wouldn't be having so much trouble."

Kuroko knew, he knew better than anyone what they were capable of. He wiped the blade on his pants before sheathing it, turning away from both his captain and the water when Kise's head didn't resurface. "No. We didn't talk much… I'm sorry the mission was a failure, Captain."

"It's not." Kuroko blinked in surprised, turning back around to see the others gathered around on the other side. "They're alive."

"How many?"

"Five."

He felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew Kise-kun was more than capable of killing every single one of them, and he had incentive to do so. Yet… "So, not even one…" He trailed off, staring down at his hands. He stabbed Kise-kun right through the gut. He stabbed him. He actually did it.

Was he angry? Or did he do it because he had to?

"I'm just as confused as you are," he told him, "but we should get them back to—Kuroko?"

He swayed on the spot, dizzy. It felt like a blur, like he was the one walking in a dream. "My apologies—I'm just not cut out for battle. May we please return now?"

Hyuuga sighed, signaling over his shoulder with his fingers. "That's what I was about to get to, idiot. It's been less than half an hour; how can you be so weak?"

"Sorry," he apologized again for the countless time. "I absorbed more of the shock than I anticipated—it's stressful on my body."

"Yeah, yeah." Hyuuga bent over and shouldered him to his great surprise. "I don't care about that right now. Let's go home already."

-x-X-x-

He woke up on the operating table, blinded by the lamp hanging overhead. He groaned, covering his eyes as he tried to curl up into himself before a bandaged hand smacked him straight again.

"Midorimacchi," he whined, "turn it down, will you?"

"No," he denied him without a second thought. "Although I would. After that sad spectacle, it's hard for me to even look at you."

Kise smirked, sitting up. He rubbed the spot where Kurokocchi stabbed him with that accursed sword, finding nothing but smooth skin—not even a slight scar. "Was I—?"

"Yes, you were actually cut down by that craven, and yes, I had the honor of dragging you out of that filth and patching you up here. I hope you're pleased with yourself."

"Haha, you're amazing~ See, I had nothing to worry about." He sighed, feigning happiness as he batted his lashes. "Kurokocchi's amazing too, isn't he? He got me, even though I saw it coming."

The sharpshooter pushed up his glasses before wiping off his hands. "Stop joking around," he said. "I can feel it, your murderous intent is out of control and your mental state is the most unstable out of the others right now. You should've indulged yourself and killed those miscreants of Seirin on the spot. Kuroko would've came regardless—you said so yourself."

He couldn't help but giggle at his choice of words. Miscreants, were they? Again, he didn't really care. He hated all humans anyway.

"_We aren't above people, we never were." _Kuroko's words rang like an annoying buzz.

"But I did kill them, didn't I?" His eyes darkened as the smile remained idle on his lips. He blinked, innocent but not.

Midorima narrowed those green orbs of his. "Don't play dumb."

"Sorry, sorry!" He waved a hand as he lounged back on the table like it was an actual bed. "I probably didn't cut deep enough or something, my apologies. But you're right—I can hardly contain it anymore." He laughed a little, bringing his knees to his chin as he shook.

'_I really, really want to kill.' _After a fight like that, he couldn't help but squirm a little.Maybe he should've finished them after all. The outcome would've been the same—he'd still be without Kurokocchi.

"Keep it to yourself anyway," Midorimacchi said, utterly indifferent to his excitement. He replaced the bandages on his fingers, revealing the badly blistered skin underneath before he turned away from him. Kise pouted. He couldn't tell if the Miracle was in a bad mood, or if he was just being his offish self with the usual stick up his butt.

"What about you, Midorimacchi?" He asked politely, tilting his head even though he couldn't see him. "Have you gotten the urge yourself? You're allowed to indulge too, you know."

To his enjoyment, Midorima stiffened at that. He sure took ease in messing up that boring façade of his from time to time. They were all the same anyway, some were just a little better than others at expressing their nature.

"I don't get urges," he snapped, "It's such an animalistic thing."

"No worries." The fox beamed, hopefully hard enough for Midorima to feel through the back of his neck. "When he wakes up, we'll take Aominecchi along for a field day. What do you say?"

He tossed a glare over his shoulder, a vein popping in his temple. "I'll have no part in whatever mess you people get yourselves into, and for your information, Aomine already woke up, so go ask him for a date yourself."

Kise perked up at that, leaning over the edge of the table as he swung his bare legs. "Really? How are his arms?"

He rolled his eyes. "The usual. Otherwise I would still be babysitting him, you fool."

He gave Midorima a thumbs up, winking. "Good job then! Aominecchi's abilities are truly perfect, aren't they? I think I'm a little jealous."

"Stop gushing," he said, a look of distaste on his face. "It's showing. Now if you'll excuse me—" He took off his white doctor's coat and threw it over a chair before turning to leave, "—I'll have to write a report for these past two days thanks to you. If you will, wash the rest of the filth out of your hair. You still smell like a sewer rat."

He saluted. "Will do. Meanwhile, the offer still stands, Midorimacchi."

-x-X-x-

On the way back, a few members of the rescued team came to and they were given first aid to help with the serious, but otherwise non-fatal wounds Kuroko assumed were inflicted by Kise. With both a pang and sigh of relief, he found that each wound was strategically cut to draw the most blood without killing the individual. It was impossible for it to be unintentional—Kise was much more capable than that, although such prudence or mercy was unlike him.

One of the injured, a young man who called himself Koganei Shinji introduced himself and clasped his hands as an outpour of thanks spilled from his mouth.

"You saved us, didn't you? Thanks so much!" He said. "I seriously thought I was gonna die back there."

Kuroko tolerated the attention—he was mostly unresponsive but Koganei didn't seem to mind the least bit. If Koganei knew what he was, he showed no indication of it either.

He asked Hyuuga, who was all the way up front, "Why are those who serve under Seirin so young?"

The Captain answered him without turning around. "Because we were old enough to witness the day the truce was broken, but young enough to retain our foolish ideals. It's the same everywhere—the Arids are full of children."

When they returned, Aida Riko was waiting for them. Before setting to work on the injured with the one named Mitobe, she pulled Kuroko aside out of earshot.

"I know what you did with Kise Ryouta," she said to him. "As commander, I don't approve, but I understand. However, watch where you tread—you've yet to earn your place so don't give us a reason not to trust you. This isn't something you can keep up forever."

He nodded, but he didn't say anything. Aida seemed to sense that he understood so she left him without scolding him any further for his other blunders.

Exhausted and slightly shaken, he decided to look for Kagami-kun after changing into a clean set of clothes. Strangely, he was relieved to find the other sitting quietly in his room, surrounded by several trays brought over from the canteen.

"Hey." For once, he was the one who greeted him first. Kuroko made note of this. "Where have you been? It's been quiet."

"Out," he answered. "I accompanied Captain Hyuuga on a mission. It was a success."

"That so? Did you run into any old friends?"

"Unfortunately, yes." He joined him at the side of his bed. Kagami didn't seem to mind like he usually did any time Kuroko tried to approach him. He made another note. "Kagami-kun, may I ask you something?"

He turned his head slightly, looking a bit curious. "Yeah?"

"Would you hurt… no… Would you kill a close friend of yours if it meant saving the lives of strangers?"

"Huh…? Um, well…" Kagami frowned deeply, his sharp brows creasing as he processed his question. "I want to say I would, but I've only had one close friend… and I wouldn't be able to lay a hand on him, even if it saved the whole damn world. I'm just not that selfless I guess. What's the deal—did you have a change of heart or something on that mission of yours?"

Kuroko shook his head, staring at his lap. "I'm only afraid that I made the 'wrong' decision. How did you know I was going to meet…?"

Kagami shrugged as Kuroko watched him grab his phone from an end table. He tapped the screen a few times before sighing heavily, tossing the obsolete device somewhere amongst the bed sheets. "Lucky guess. I don't know—I figured it would be important if you left in _that_ condition."

He blinked, remembering that he should probably have Aida check him out again. Kagami didn't continue talking and neither did he so the two sat in silence. The other refused to look at him, though he didn't tell him to leave either, so Kuroko sat where he was, staring at his back for the long minutes that followed.

After ten, he began to worry. Kagami-kun was hot-headed, rash, and relied too much on his instincts. He was anything but quiet or passive like now. Kuroko frowned as he flipped through his mental compilation of the redhead, trying to diagnose the odd behavior. He couldn't be angry, he had other ways of expressing stuff like that. Perhaps upset… Sick… Homesick?

Kagami-kun finally spoke, still facing the wall. "I've been thinking…"

Thinking? So that's what it was.

"I want to go home."

* * *

_Riko's Daily File_

_**Kise Ryouta  
**__Age: 17 Years  
Height: 189 cm  
Weight: 77 kg  
Blood Type: A  
Class: Internal Type  
Known Power: Complete Imitation, shape shifting  
Weakness: Anything he can't hear or see. Personal physical limitations are constant no matter who or what he copies._

_**Kagami Taiga**__  
Age: 17 Years  
Height: 190 cm  
Weight: 82 kg  
Blood Type: A  
Class: N/A  
Known Power: N/A  
Weakness: That of a regular guy I guess. Says a lot of dumb things._

_Internal Types: Awakened beings whose "key changes are expressed within the individual" i.e. Kise's shape shifting or Aida's special eyes_

_External Types: Awakened beings whose "key changes are expressed outside the individual and imposed on his or her environment" i.e. Kuroko's illusions_

* * *

_A/N: So here's the fourth installment, hoped you enjoyed the read. Thanks again for your reviews so far!_

_As for the next chapter, will Seirin hold to their principles and let Kagami go free, or is he gonna have to force his way out in order to see his home again?_


	5. We're Monsters

"I want to go home." When he said it, the rest of his breath left him in the form of a sigh. Realizing what he wanted felt good in a way. Being lost wasn't so bad when you had a tangible goal in mind after all. "So what do you—?" He stopped.

Kuroko was slumped over on his bed, his mouth shamelessly agape as he blew a snot bubble with the faintest snoring.

"Idiot, don't sleep here!"

-x-X-x-

**Chapter V:** We're Monsters

-x-X-x-

He crossed his arms, leaning on one leg as he glared with disgust at the people who surrounded him in this cramped coffee shop. If only they knew whose presence they were standing in, if only they knew he could snap every one of their necks within the minute—that he'd love to—then he wouldn't be waiting here for over five minutes in this damned line.

"So we _are_ getting another shortage," he heard a woman whisper from the table over. "I heard the rebels were at it again, setting fire to our fields in the North. What are they thinking of accomplishing?"

Kise couldn't help but smirk to himself as he faced forward again, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he leaned back and forth on the balls of his feet. They couldn't accomplish anything of course, he wanted to say, but stuff like that could go without pointing out. It was the difference between a rat and a lion. They've been fighting for the past twenty-nine years—nothing was going to change now.

'_With or without Kurokocchi, they're still doomed.'_

To his relief, or rather, everyone else's safety, the line proceeded and Kise found himself at the front. He wanted the usual frappuccino and Momoi asked that he bring her back a caramel latte since she was too busy tending to Aominecchi. She seemed a little nervous when he told her he was making a trip to the city. Being an analyst, the girl was sharp and she probably knew Kise wasn't here just for the coffee.

After making his order, he opened his wallet to pull out enough cash, only to find it completely empty save for a few pathetic-looking coins nesting amongst receipts and gum wrappers, he didn't even have enough money for a plain coffee.

"Ah—" he gulped, searching through his pockets for any spare bills. He cursed; he should've at least _checked_ he had enough money before making the trip, or killed someone and take their wallet before coming here.

Just when he was about to bat his eyelashes a few times and work his charm, someone from behind him reached forward and slapped enough bills to cover the frappuccino and latte, as well as a plain coffee, onto the counter.

"Just a regular dark for me, please." The woman only shrugged before accepting the stranger's payment.

Kise whirled around to find a black-haired young man whose head barely made it past his chin. His bemused look was met with a sharp blue gaze that didn't look as kind as he expected. "Hey, wait a minute—why'd you do that for?"

"Don't worry about it, I didn't do it for you," the stranger answered before stepping aside to let other people order. Kise followed him, frowning. "Take my word for it when I tell you no one has time to wait for someone who didn't even bring enough change to the café."

The blond felt a vein pop in his temple, but he only laughed it off, waving a hand around harmlessly. "Fair enough. Say, are you in a hurry yourself?"

It was the young man's turn to frown as he grabbed his fresh coffee from the counter before handing Kise his own order. "No, but that doesn't mean I like to wait."

He grinned, showing teeth. No matter what he said, this person probably couldn't help pay for him because of the looks—Kise was sure of it when it's happened so many times in the past. Men, women—they were all the same in his face. People were so predictable, so shallow. They're easily swayed by appearances and he was no amateur in the art of deceit… They could eat into him, and he would welcome it—after all, the ones who approached him first were easy but still satisfying game.

Kise accepted the latte and frappe with a bright thanks before gesturing to a nearby table for two. "Well I don't want to just let you go free after you just bought me a few drinks. How about it?"

The stranger arched an eyebrow. For a second, he thought he was going to say no, but he ended up shrugging before settling down in one of the chairs. Kise was beside himself with joy while the other looked more inconvenienced than anything else. Oh well, a dead man was a dead man in the end.

"So—" he plopped down before crossing his legs. "—Where do you go to school?"

"I graduated three years ago."

"No college?"

He paused to sip. "Don't need it." Something distasteful crossed his face—Kise guessed it was just the bitterness of the coffee. "How old are you?"

"Eh?" Kise blinked. "I'm seventeen." He was met with the same sharp gaze again. Something about it was unnerving, and to his own disgust with himself, he gulped.

"Is that so then." The Miracle watched him as he swished his cup around even though there was no cream or sugar to mix. "I'm your senior by four years, so don't forget to address me as such."

He felt another vein pop as he laughed nervously, rubbing his head. This person had spunk, he couldn't deny it. Despite the harsh eyes, this stranger couldn't be called crude or unrefined—actually, he was quite the opposite. Annoyance shifted into pure fascination as he rested his chin against a single hand; this could be interesting. "Fine, fine~ At least tell me your name, _Senpai_."

He seemed unamused with the stress he mockingly placed on the honorific. "My name is Kasamatsu Yukio. And you?"

"Kise Ryouta." He grinned as if he just told a good joke, receiving his scrutiny with a stifled giggle; maybe this guy was trying to study him but Kise wasn't one to lose at his own game. "Kasamatsu-senpai has a nice ring to it, so I guess I don't have anything to complain about."

The man called Kasamatsu showed no indication that he heard although he obviously did. Instead, he turned his attention to the overhanging television, his dark brows furrowing as he read the scrolling text on the bottom of the screen. "The death toll rose to seventy-three in the past day. A young girl just succumbed in the hospital."

Kise took a sip of his frappuccino, savoring the sweet emptiness of it. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Kasamatsu looked at him with complete disbelief. "Are you as thick-headed as you look? I'm talking about the terrorist attack on the Shinagawa-Shinjuku line."

'_Oh… the train Midorimacchi and I forced to derail. Don't remind me, it was a complete waste of time after all that work.'_

"Yes, that. That's awful," Kise replied, taking another sip of his half-frozen drink. Something didn't feel quite right with this person. With his yellow irises gazing discreetly through thick lashes, Kise watched him return his attentions to the news with one hand still holding his coffee and the other resting on the table top. He was dressed nicely, now that Kise took the time to study his clothes—he wore a pressed suit with a white shirt and black tie—maybe he worked in an office? His shoulders were relaxed as were his legs that remained only slightly spread beneath the table. "Do you think the rebels did it?"

The young man turned back to him, looking just as bemused as before. "Didn't I just say that?"

"You said terrorists."

Kasamatsu took a long sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving him. "Same thing, you know what I mean. Anyway, they say a group already took responsibility for the incident—Seirin was it? Whatever, but either way, it's not like it's a mystery anymore."

Kise sighed in relief at that. His bad feeling was probably just a result of his craving for a good kill right now. Despite the appearance he advertised, Kasamatsu Yukio was just a regular civilian, a regular human.

And what's a human to something like him?

"Hey, can I have your number, Kasamatsu-senpai?" He asked, wanting to rev things up a bit. He didn't have time to talk about the boring stuff.

Kasamatsu wasn't impressed by that either, much to his disappointment. He didn't even falter in the slightest bit. "Why?"

Kise could almost pout—this guy was an odd one. "So I can call you up sometime and return the favor." It was a lie of course. Kise was already mapping out potential spots he could dump a body without being noticed.

"I said not to worry about it."

Well shit. Of course Kise didn't actually want his number, but this guy was playing hard-to-get and he hated taking no for an answer. He remembered faintly Midorimacchi calling it one of his weaknesses. "Don't be mean," he whined, tilting his head. "I'm not one to let a favor go unpaid."

"No, you're just annoying." Kasamatsu grit his teeth angrily, totally not the reaction he was expecting. "Here. If you call me at an ungodly hour, I'll kill you." He scribbled something down on a scrap of newspaper before shoving it towards him. Kise accepted with a mental round of applause.

"Thanks, I won't lose this, Senpai."

-x-X-x-

Momoi sat by herself, head bowed to her breast as she swung her legs idly.

"_Oi, Satsuki. Take this collar off me, will you?"_

_She wanted to cry, but she only swallowed it all down, choosing to stick her tongue at him instead. "I hate it when you ask me that—you know I can't."_

She wanted Tetsu-kun here beside her. Ki-chan left to satisfy that bloody craving of his, and he even took Midorin with him as well—well, not literally since Midorima avoided going to the city unless he had to.

'_Sorry, Tetsu-kun. You're the only one who understands and I couldn't stop either of them.' _Not that it mattered. The want to kill was ingrained in their DNA. If she didn't let any of the boys go now, then they would've left on their own sooner or later. Even Midorin, who was the most composed out of all of them, still possessed the base instincts of any Awakened being.

She almost jumped when the door beside her suddenly opened. Midorima himself stepped out with his eyes closed as he re-bandaged his fingers. Despite herself, she leaned over to peek into the windowless room, catching a glimpse of several keeled-over figures with smoking heads. One unfortunate soul had two burnt-black sockets for eyes. Momoi caught a whiff of the smell and her stomach churned, but she only laughed as she beamed up at the sharpshooter. "Feeling refreshed yet?"

"No, I was just sweeping up a mess," he said although she knew better. Midorima, whose self-healing was dependent on his mood, told her otherwise with his now-pristine fingers which had just been burnt and blistered earlier before. "Have you seen Takao?"

She shrugged. "He could be on a mission, but you can check his room."

"I will—I doubt he'd be dispatched without me, the blubbering idiot." Muttering something else under his breath, Midorin left her and Momoi only watched him go, the smile slipping from her lips like wax. One worker who was left behind to clean up after _Midorima's_ mess left the room and Momoi stopped him, asking, "What were they convicted of?"

The worker rolled his shoulders, adjusting his cap dismissively. "Treason I guess, the usual."

-x-X-x-

Life in Tokyo was the same as ever. In the two days that Kagami left the city limits and the train crash, people continued with their own business and life went on. Nothing stopped for him and realizing how detached these worlds were was a strange feeling.

"I still don't know why you're here though," he grumbled to the one walking beside him. Kuroko had his nose stuck in a paperback book—he wasn't even reading real literature. Five minutes into the southern shopping district, Kagami almost had a heart attack when he first lost Kuroko, only to find the strange boy wandering towards a bookstand and heading straight for the manga. One volume of a shoujo series with holographic text across the cover got his attention.

"_Hey you idiot, don't wander off!" He huffed angrily as he stomped towards him. A few young girls cast him nervous glances before walking hurriedly away. Kuroko was unfazed, like always. Instead of apologizing, he only pointed towards the colorful cover that spelled "Jounetsu no Kiss~" and asked, "What's this?"_

"_Eh?" Kagami stuttered when he realized which section they were standing next to. "Put that back, it's a comic book for girls."_

_Kuroko frowned as he flipped the manga over. "It doesn't say anything about being gender-exclusive, Kagami-kun." He curiously hummed to himself before flipping through the pages, apparently engrossed with whatever disgusting stuff that went on in those sort of books. "Oh, they're pressing their lips together…"_

_Running his fingers through his hair, Kagami hissed at him as he cast agitated glances everywhere. "I said put it back. We don't have time to loiter around."_

_Kuroko seemed torn about that. He closed the manga, but refused to place it back onto the shelf. "I'm afraid I've gotten attached—I want to know what happens to the characters… Can I take this with me?"_

_Kagami smacked him on the back of his head. "That's stealing, you idiot!"_

Despite all odds, he ended up buying him the damn manga and the redhead swore he never saw the other's eyes light up so brightly before. He wanted to call it disturbing, but it was a nice thing to see in its own right.

"I'm here thanks to you," Kuroko answered. "You're the one who convinced the Commander to let me go."

Kagami blinked, unamused. "I don't remember that part."

"_Kagami-kun, remember what I told you. Aida Riko isn't unkind, but she hates losing something she has her eyes on. You have something she wants and with your outspoken personality, you may push her into a corner and that's when she'll be most dangerous."_

_Kagami yawned, picking at his ear as the two of them walked side-by-side down the empty hall. "Yeah, so?"_

"_So use that as leverage against her. I also wish to accompany you on your trip."_

_With Kuroko's advice, convincing Aida to let him return home was easy enough, however—_

"_Like hell I'll let you do that!" She shouted, slamming two hands into the table as both Kagami and Kuroko leaned back in their seats, thoroughly intimidated._

"_That's okay, I can go alone—" Kagami quickly said but Aida ran over his words with as much abandon as a truck on four-wheel drive._

"_You're still recovering from your run-in with one of the Miracles and I think I've already been lenient on you enough. Not to mention your injuries!" She pointed an accusing finger at Kuroko. "Did you honestly think I would let you go on some damn trip straight into Tokyo when seventy people were killed in getting you out of there?"_

_Kagami frowned, now that was unfair. Wasn't it already settled that the whole incident _wasn't_ Kuroko's fault?_

_The smaller boy was humbled, but he pressed on. "It's clear that Kagami-kun wants to return to see his home more than anything—you even promised him his freedom to leave. However, the promise means nothing if you can't protect him. I don't doubt that he'll be a target the moment he crosses the last parallel, assuming that he is able to without me. I brought him here in the first place and I respectfully claim the responsibility in bringing him back."_

_Aida flared her nostrils as she crossed her arms, towering over the seated boys. "I can have someone else escort him underground."_

_Kuroko blinked, pressing a finger to his bottom lip thoughtfully. "Oh, I didn't think of that." Kagami almost fell out of his seat. "I suppose traveling underground would be faster and safer. Even so, I still request that I be the one to escort him."_

_To be honest, he didn't really care about having a stupid escort but if he had to choose between Kuroko and this woman's goonies, then Kuroko was probably the obvious choice._

"_And besides," Kuroko added bravely, "your men will only be helpful for as far as the old subway goes. Above ground, I believe they will draw attention. On the other hand, secrecy and espionage are my specialties—I guarantee discovery will not be a problem."_

_Aida shut her eyes, obviously conflicted. Kagami almost felt grateful for the consideration she allowed him—looking at her position of power, she could have easily shut him down and saved her the trouble of compromising with Kuroko, but she didn't. "Fine," she conceded, sighing heavily. "Hyuuga's not gonna like me going behind his back like this, especially since it's you, Kuroko-kun, but I'll let you go on two conditions."_

_Both looked up at that, Kagami surprised that he actually got to her with that. "Yeah?"_

"_You'll have to wear a cuff so we can track you. The moment you lose signal, I'll send in a retrieval team and you'll be in for a lot of pain." She turned to Kagami, her ever-shifting eyes stern. "As for you, the moment you cross under the last parallel, we'll revoke all obligation to protect you and you'll be Kuroko's responsibility. If you trust him, then go ahead and do what you want."_

_Kagami wanted to scoff and tell her that he didn't need a babysitter and that this wasn't even his idea, but the thing was, it was Kuroko's and he still felt that he owed the other for taking a bullet (or whatever that strange green light was) for him._

"_Lastly, I want either of you to deliver this." She opened up a drawer and pulled out an unmarked envelope. "It's important. I can't give you an address for obvious reasons, but I'll tell you the directions. Listen up because I hate repeating myself."_

Kagami got shivers just from recalling the scene. Aida threatened Kuroko, not him, but that didn't mean he couldn't feel the side effects of her rather frightening aura. There was something about angry women that really got him.

"Kagami-kun?" Kuroko spoke out of the blue, apparently no longer worried about the initial topic. "What does it mean to add –kun to one's name?"

Kagami almost tripped over his own shoelaces. "You were tacking on an honorific without knowing what it meant?"

Kuroko shrugged, eyes peaking up at him from over the edge of the monochrome pages. "I suppose so. I've heard it said by others many times before, and it seemed like the least hostile addition to any name. If you haven't noticed, I was trying to make peace with you, Kagami-kun."

He turned his face away from him, cheeks tingling with embarrassment—this guy said some pretty weird things. "If it's between two guys, then it means we're friends. If it's between a girl and a guy who are the same age, then the girl probably likes the guy in some way. That answer your question?"

Kuroko glanced down at the manga. "That makes sense. Chihiro keeps referring to the main male character as Takuya–kun. However, she also adds –senpai the rival character, Yamato's name. What does that mean?"

Believing in cooties would be more than relevant right now and Kagami didn't want to know who Chihiro, Takuya, or Yamato were. "Senpai is for your upperclassmen or people who are more experienced than you. Are we done now?"

"For now, yes. Thank you, Kagami-kun. " Kuroko, visibly happy with his answer. He returned to his manga and Kagami caught a glimpse of the summary printed across the back. _'Jounetsu no Kiss—a harrowing tale of an ordinary transfer student torn between two worlds. Will her love survive against all odds and flourish in the face of danger?' _He gagged. Out of all the manga available at the stand, this former assassin-slash-spy of the Empire had to pick this one.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Kagami returned his attentions to whatever was in front of him. He couldn't help but notice that Kuroko continued to refer to him in the same way as ever even after he explained what the suffix meant.

-x-X-x-

"Kagami-kun? Sorry, but I have another question." They had been walking for almost an hour—the shopping district was now a few streets behind them and the roads were noticeably emptier. Kagami decided to humor him to relieve the boredom and budding paranoia that they were being followed.

"What is it?"

Kuroko's hands were empty now. He had long finished the manga and carefully put it away like it was a national treasure. He had looked a bit down about it and Kagami offered to get him the next volume, but he politely declined and he was secretly relieved since he doubted his wallet could support Kuroko's newfound addiction. "The city is nice, the people seem content, so why do people rebel against the Empire?"

Kagami was genuinely confused about the question. Shouldn't Kuroko know? After all, he was the one fighting for the rebels, not him. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? You're the one on their side."

Kuroko looked down at that, his gaze empty as ever. "The reason I turned my back on the Generation of Miracles and the reason those like Seirin fight are different. Besides, I would like to know what you think."

He frowned, looking up at the sky as if he could find the answer in the clouds. Why do people fight? Why do they die? "I don't really know. Freedom I guess?"

"Freedom," Kuroko echoed, mulling over the word. "What is 'freedom'? What is it even worth when you have safety? Freedom is intangible and I don't understand how humans can fight for an intangible idea."

Kagami didn't say anything. He shut his eyes before red lights flashed across his mind's eye as screaming filled his ears.

"_Taiga, run—!" Gunshots, sirens, he swore blood was trickling from somewhere on the side of his head. _

"Kagami-kun?"

He jerked back to reality, realizing his chest was heaving. He pressed a hand to his heart, trying to calm his pulse as a bead of cold sweat ran down his neck. "…Sorry, what were you saying?"

Kuroko seemed concerned, but to his relief, he didn't ask what that was about. "I just asked why people would fight for freedom."

'_Oh. Right.'_

'_Why would people fight for something like freedom anyway?'_

'_Why would they fight and leave their friends behind?'_

"There's probably more to it," he said, nodding forward. "You'll see."

Soon enough, they reached the outskirts of the city where the splendor of the metropolis could no longer be seen. Sky scrapers gave to run-down shacks, bustling streets to unpaved roads. No one had even bothered to water the grass, which was now nothing but withered straw weathered by the past winters and summers. A gust blew and a tumbleweed cut across their path. In the distance, a barking dog could be heard.

"The city's the city, and here… is here," he said. This was home, this was where he and the majority of those who lived under the Empire resided. It's not like he's known better, but what Kuroko was exposed to was only the gilded layer of reality. No matter how he looked at it, there was a disparaging gap between the higher-ups and people like him.

"Everything's dead…" Kuroko whispered. He knelt down, fingers grazing the brush.

"Yeah." Kagami looked away. "Come on. We have a letter to deliver."

Riko's instructions led them down an alley, past a ditch, and under a bridge that was partially hidden by more brush. After more walking, they reached their destination soon enough. Kuroko grabbed his wrist, scaring the shit out of him. Before he could protest, he held a cold finger to his lips and Kagami was ready to bite it off. "Just in case," he said, "My illusions can extend to anyone, just as long as I'm touching them."

They faced a quaint house. It wasn't very luxurious but it was comparably nicer than what Kagami lived in himself. Eager to get the errand done and over with, he ascended the few steps that led to the front door and knocked with Kuroko standing close behind him.

He heard footsteps, but the door didn't open. Instead, a slot opened in the panel and two dark eyes peered at them. "Yeah?"

"Are you Kagetora?"

"Depends who's asking."

Kagami grit his teeth. "I just have a letter to deliver—it's from Aida Riko."

Those eyes widened at that and the strange man opened the door to snatch said letter unceremoniously from his grasp. The two of them watched the middle-aged man as he ripped the paper open with a single calloused finger before dumping the letter out. He unfolded and glanced over it, scruffy mouth downturned in a deep frown.

He tried not to look down to steal a glance less he actually give this guy an excuse to shoot him on the spot with a hunting rifle that was probably hanging over his door or something (never mind that it was illegal in this country to own a gun). "So what is it?"

The man named Kagetora flipped the paper over for them to see and Kagami found that it was completely blank. Did she give them the wrong envelope?

"No, it was intentional," he said gruffly, as if he could tell what Kagami was thinking. "It was just one of her tests. Whatever, come in." He opened the door wider before turning his back on them. He noticed that he walked with a limp despite his steadfast posture. He was a smoker too, Kagami figured as his nose wrinkled at the smell. He looked down at Kuroko who was just as deadpan as ever.

"That expression of yours is a little rude, Kagami-kun."

He rolled his eyes before looking back at Kagetora who was rummaging through a cabinet for something. "I knew my daughter would send you along and I guess she thought giving you a fake letter was the only way to get you here of your own free will—that's what she told me anyway. What she didn't tell me is that she'd be sending a damned monster to my doorstep as well." He looked over his shoulder, gazing at Kuroko with clear contempt and utter disgust. Kagami felt himself grow cold as something twitched within his gut.

"Hey n—" He began, but Kuroko shoved a hand into his side, effectively silencing him. Kagetora raised an eyebrow before walking away.

"Take a seat, I'll get some tea ready."

The both of them readily sat down as Kagami rubbed his sore spot. His hands were clenched, and he wouldn't be surprised if he already wore his teeth down to stubs. Kuroko didn't even do anything wrong—what he said was totally uncalled for, and yet…

"Are you angry?" He asked him softly.

Kagami glared at nothing in particular. "Aren't you? He just called you a monster for no reason."

"Perhaps, but please don't hold it against him. Understand that this treatment doesn't stem from pure bigotry or ignorance."

He lifted his shirt to check the spot Kuroko struck him. He was probably gonna bruise. "What do you mean?"

Those pale blue irises flickered towards him and Kagami swore he could see the very depths of a clear but empty pool within them. "We really are monsters. From the moment we're created, the want to kill runs deep within our blood, our genes," he explained. "Kagami-kun, did you know that upon the initial injections, half of all human subjects die on the spot? That's not even the most selective part—around ninety-five percent of those who survive either die in the later stages of Awakening or go insane with thirst and are subsequently put down like rabid dogs. The two-point-five percent who survive every stage still possess the basic instinct to murder. Our nature holds true to what we're made for, to kill."

He said it so casually in that soft-spoken voice of his, as if he were speaking of a mere indisputable fact. Even so, Kagami caught a glimpse of resentment, of defiance to his own words in those pools. "What about you then? You said you've never killed a man."

"No, but my actions were probably more destructive than merely shooting a person on the spot with my own hands. I was a spy. My following orders has led to people being slaughtered in their beds, or behind walls they thought were safe. What I've done isn't better, if not worse."

He wasn't sure what to say to that, but he was sure of one thing. No matter how strange he came off, or what he did in the past, Kuroko couldn't be like that. It sounded to him that he was just putting himself down and bearing the collective responsibility of whatever his old friends did. "You were following orders."

Kuroko chuckled. "Sorry, Kagami-kun. I didn't mean to try and scare you out of anything. I just thought I should explain that the prejudice isn't groundless and therefore something to be upset over," he said before lowering his gaze, mouth curved into a smile. "But you did try to defend me. Thank you for that."

* * *

_Riko's Daily File_**_  
_**

**_Hyuuga Junpei  
_**_Age: 18 Years  
Height: 178 cm  
Weight: 68 kg  
Blood Type: A  
Class: N/A  
Known Power: N/A Has a damn good eye for sniping though  
Weakness: But... he's a bit near-sighted without his glasses and his personality is horrible sometimes._

* * *

_A/N: Hey guys I finally graduated :D I think I'll have more time to write and draw more. Do any of my readers have a tumblr? If so, follow me at kiiyoshi, I'd love to have a chat or something._

_Anyways, thank you everyone again for reading, reviews are much appreciated. _


	6. All Roads Lead to One Door

Riko leaned back in her chair after she dismissed the two, fanning herself and checking the clock. From the door behind her, she felt another presence who probably had a whole lot to say and more enter the room. "Were you eavesdropping the entire time?"

"Yeah," Hyuuga answered. She heard a dull _thud_ as the other leaned against the door frame. Smiling to herself, Riko spun around in her chair to face him.

"So? I'm guessing I have your approval then, otherwise you would've said something by now." She stopped, studying his face. "Well, at least that's what I want to think… Come on, spit it out."

The young captain's expression soured as he crossed his arms, glaring elsewhere. "You know exactly what I'm thinking. Why'd you end up letting Kuroko go? Like you said, we could've marked Kagami on our own just as easily."

Riko traced her lips thoughtfully with a single finger. Hyuuga was a smart and brilliant leader for his age, but she also knew him better than anyone and she knew the things he saw when they were both children. They made him stronger as a soldier, but at the same time, they ingrained him with a stubborn prejudice that proved to be both a blessing and a hindrance in leading this faction. She couldn't blame him since after all, she possessed some of the same sentiments, but unlike Hyuuga, she also possessed eyes that let her see past what didn't matter. "I want Kagami," Riko answered simply. "We don't own him, so forcing our own men onto him would've pushed him further away from us. He might not get along with Kuroko-kun on the surface, but he treats him like a lifeline without knowing. Give him the one thing he's familiar with in a place like this, and he'll cling to it no matter what." That's what she predicted anyway, and her predictions were rarely wrong if she could say so herself. Whether or not Kuroko wanted Kagami to fight alongside them didn't matter—in the end, he'd be the one to bring him back.

"And plus," she added, threading her slender fingers together. "There's potential sleeping within him. What he needs to awaken it doesn't lie here… perhaps he'll find it in the city."

-x-X-x-

**Chapter VI:** All Roads Lead to One Door

-x-X-x-

The dry afternoon had faded into evening when the two of them left Kagetora's house with a heavy air amongst them. Kagami shrugged the jacket from his shoulders as he looked down at his dusty shoes, brows knitted together in a deep frown. Kuroko only watched him quietly as he walked on without him, kicking the dirt up as he dragged his feet behind him.

"Why did he tell me all that…?"

Kuroko looked ahead of him, sipping from the water bottle Riko's father begrudgingly gave to him. The answer was obvious, but perhaps it wasn't within reach of someone like Kagami. "Seirin wants you on their side. The information Kagetora-san divulged to us probably exceeds the rank of your typical Resistance member."

His answer wasn't comforting as Kagami-kun sighed and rubbed his temples with the edge of his palms. "For the hundredth goddamn time, I just want to go back home."

Kuroko didn't say anything. He had no qualms with Kagami-kun's wishes. In fact, if he had the right to express his opinion, then he would've encouraged Kagami to stay on this side of the last parallel where it was safe because if he had a home to return to, then he should do just that. However, Kuroko wanted to tell him to be careful if that wasn't the case, but he got the idea that any more warnings from him would fall on death ears—Kagami-kun only had eyes for his return to normalcy and nothing else. That didn't change the fact that Riko Aida let them go free too easily and knowing her, she probably had something planned.

"_So what do you want, Kagami?" Kagetora asked him out of the blue, his worn eyes resting on the redhead who fidgeted rather uncomfortably in his seat. Kuroko watched the man closely as he tried to dissect his intentions through the small gestures he made with his hands and the frequency at which he blinked his eyes. _

"_What… do I want?" Kagami echoed the question, utterly unsure of himself. Kuroko resisted the urge to punch him once in the back—he was no good; his crude composure was slipping and Kagami-kun was baring his weaknesses to the stranger just by sitting there in his insecurity. _

"_Everyone has something they want," Kagetora replied, fiddling with the cracked handle of a teapot. "Even if it's just bread or a cup of tea."_

"_Well I've said it over and over—I want to go home."_

"_By home, do you mean return to the place you live?" Kagami nodded and Kagetora shook his head. "No, that's not it. There's something else that you want more than anything—you may have a roof above your head, or a bed to sleep in, but you already lost your 'home' ages ago, haven't you?"_

Their next stop was the "home" Kagami-kun spoke of. He had his reservations, but he only kept silent and followed the other as he lead him through the neighborhood that was more dirt than anything else. Kuroko looked over his shoulder a couple times to stare at the wavering shadows cast by the towering city in the distance. A heavy cloud of smog tinted a murky brown hung in the sky, shrouding the sun and casting these already decrepit dwellings in a heavier shadow.

Before long, Kagami was holding open the door to a two-floored building of sorts covered in peeling paint. A chipped sign that read "_CONVENIENCE STORE" _was nailed right above the entrance.

"You live here?" Kuroko asked him as they both walked into cooler air. Kagami nodded as he lead him further in. "I have a room upstairs."

-x-X-x-

"Yo, Inoue-san, you in?" Kagami hollered shamelessly as he pushed passed a curtain. He found who he was looking for standing behind the counter that was stacked with various medicines and packaged foods.

"Ah, you scared me, Kagami-kun," replied the old man, holding his chest. "I-I haven't seen you for a while… We were getting worried."

"Uh, school trip," he lied, rubbing the back of his head as he shifted his backpack for emphasis. "Sorry, I guess I should of given you a heads up."

"No, no it's not a problem. I'm just glad you're back. Miki should be home sometime soon," he said before shuffling from behind the counter towards the back of the store. "Now if you'll excuse me, t-there's something I need to take care of. Go on ahead, you left your room unlocked."

He raised a brow as he watched him leave, surprised he didn't stay a little longer to catch up, or even ask about Kuroko. Feeling snuffed by the rather disappointing welcome, he turned to his side and opened his mouth to ask something, only to find empty space where he swore the other was standing moments before.

'_Huh—Did he just disappear?'_

"I'm right here, Kagami-kun," came a voice from behind, sending him into the air for a second.

"Shi—can you not do that?" He snapped before brushing past him. "Did you go invisible?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me and I wasn't sure what to do so I… hid for a bit."

Kagami snorted. So Kuroko just got shy… it was strangely normal and hilariously innocent of him.

"…Is Inoue-san a friend of yours?" Kuroko asked as they began to scale the stairs, the wooden panels squeaking achingly loud beneath their feet.

He nodded again, hands stuffed in his pockets as he fixed his eyes on his bedroom door. "I work shifts at the auto shop to pay for rent and school, but it's not enough so he gives me extra work and a cheap place to stay. His family invites me to dinner sometimes, so I owe the old man a lot." He smiled quietly to himself, grateful just from talking about it, although the smile was quick to slip from his face when a nagging feeling pulled at his gut. Inoue-san had said something about his door being unlocked, hadn't he?

"That's strange…" he murmured. He locked his door every morning for the past seven years, it was a habit that he never broke, or couldn't break even if he tried. What was so different about _that_ day that made him forget?

He climbed the last step with Kuroko following close behind him. The tension between them told him he was just as bothered as he was.

"It feels weird…" he said, reaching slowly for the knob. The polished brass was cold beneath his skin, like it hadn't been touched in ages. "What's the word? Surreal?" Something unpleasant made his skin prickle and Kagami realized he was scared... He could slap himself if Kuroko wasn't there-what gave?

"Please be careful, Kagami-kun." Idiot, like he didn't know. Of course he was gonna be careful—how many times did he almost die in the past two days? Two times, but it was two too many. He heard Inoue shuffle downstairs as he took a deep breath, opening the door and freeing a gust of stale air.

His room was just as he left it, with his bed half-made and clothes hanging in the closet. His desk was clean as always, except for the pile of school papers he shoved in one corner. With a distant pang, he realized he missed the first day of finals at school. Just his luck.

There was nothing else—nothing popped up, no one jumped from behind the shelf, and there were no surprises. He finally released the deep breath he had been holding before opening the window and turning to face Kuroko, who was just as indifferent as ever. "I'm going to go back down to ask for a duster."

"I'll come." He didn't ask why, but he let him tag along, if a bit awkwardly, since… well, why not?

"Hey old man, is there a duster or broom I can borrow?" he called as he jumped down the last trio of steps. "Any will do." No answer.

He frowned and ducked under another curtain to look around in the back room. "Hello?" Still no answer.

"He's not here," Kuroko said quietly.

Well, obviously. He said something else, but Kagami shoved past him without really paying attention. Something was off—he wouldn't just leave without telling him, would he?

"Inoue-san?" He called as he stepped outside, hands cupped around his mouth. Kuroko dashed out to follow him, stopping unnervingly close as he studied their surroundings with the attention of a cornered hare.

"Kagami-kun, it's quiet. Quieter than it was before." It helped to know he noticed it too, but it didn't answer any questions. "Please hold on to me, we should leave as quickly as possible," he said as he held out his hand. It took him a second to realize what he wanted him to do, but before he could wrap his fingers around his wrist to duck under his cover of illusions, something silver blindsided Kuroko from his right.

For a single second, neither of them reacted as Kagami watched him fall in slow-motion, too stunned to do anything else. Blue sparks of electricity enveloped the smaller boy's body and only when his screams filled the air did Kagami snap out of his stupor.

"_Kuroko—!_"

The Awakened one writhed for a split second more, his back arching painfully off the ground while his hand locked around a strange metal device that attached itself to his front. The electricity instantly died down to nothing, but not before leaving the boy smoking and gasping for breath. Kagami quickly threw himself to his knees as he hurried to his side to see if he was all right, teeth grinding together when the stench of singed flesh reached his nostrils.

Pale blue eyes filled with pain and fear locked with his as Kuroko struggled to speak. "K-Kagami-kun… I-I can't move…" His hand twitched, wrist circled with swollen red skin—the steel cuff Aida forced him to wear was totally destroyed and probably searing hot. "R-Run."

Before he could tell him to shut up, a third voice interrupted them as it gloated, "Looks like we took out your bodyguard in one go, and it was a lucky shot too," Kagami jumped to his feet, whirling around to find himself surrounded by six men dressed in black and donning matching gas masks that hid their faces. The old man was with them, his hands held behind his back by one of the men whom Kagami guessed was the leader.

"You'll pay for that," he snarled, stepping in front of Kuroko's fallen form.

"Oh?" said the same person, his voice distorted by the mouthpiece he spoke through. "We'd like to see you try. Though it'd be a shame if this geezer got caught in the commotion, wouldn't it?"

Kagami froze at that. Inoue wasn't looking at him. "Forgive me, Kagami-kun…" he pleaded. "They took her, they took my daughter." Those words hit him like a truck and Kagami could only stare at him in disbelief like a deer in headlights.

"So your name is Kagami. Kagami Taiga, right? Then we have the right guy," his captor laughed before slapping him on the back. The old man whimpered and Kagami felt his nails break the skin as his hands balled into shaking fists. "Knew we could count on you to deliver."

"What do you want?" He spat, glowering eyes darting from side to side for another surprise attack. They were outnumbered and with Kuroko out, he had no chance of running away like last time. He swore infinitely within his head—he was so stupid, coming back here. He put these innocent people in danger when he could've stayed put and behaved like Kuroko said.

"We just want you to come with us, no big deal."

"Let him go," he hissed, seething. For the sake of the other two, he held his ground even though he wanted nothing more than to rip them from limb to limb. "Then we'll talk."

"Huh? Really?" Kagami couldn't see his face because of the mask, but he assumed the stranger was actually considering his words as he rolled his shoulders and leaned on the balls of his feet. Kagami bit the side of his mouth in anticipation as the man unsheathed something small from his belt and twirled it once before—

"_NO—!" _

He was much too late as a red liquid spurted into the air, gushing out of the fresh cut to the rhythm of the old man's terrified heart beat. Both Kagami and Kuroko watched in horror as he fell to the ground like a dead weight, bleeding out the entirety of his lifeblood within seconds.

"Consider that punishment for that big mouth of yours. Didn't your mother tell you to think twice before speaking?"

He stared, eyes wide and unable to look away. Red… The red reached his shoes, bleeding into the cracks of his soles like ink into a quill.

"You don't make the conditions, we do—"

He vision blurred and sharpened, blurred and sharpened, like a camera struggling to focus on a moving target; but the old man was completely still, his eyes wide open with jaded surprise. His mouth hung agape in mid-cry when it had just been begging him for forgiveness moments before.

"—should've known better. Doesn't matter what you say, we'll just drag you back whether you fight or not—"

Kagami couldn't hear him. He couldn't hear anything as burning crimson eyes fixed on Inoue's murderer and nothing else, not even the idle bastards that flanked him. It's happened before, he's lost it before. Fire replaced the horror and shock in his core, raging boundlessly within him before it consumed every thought, every feeling—

He didn't hear Kuroko's startled cry as his mind went blank.

-x-X-x-

Kuroko reached for him helplessly as a terrifying aura rolled off of Kagami's hunched-over figure. He had to move—just a little, just enough to give Kagami-kun a big enough opening for him to get away from here, but Kuroko couldn't even grind his teeth in frustration when his lurching body refused to listen to him.

'_Why… am I so helpless?'_

"K-Kagami…" he tried to cry out, but he doubt the other heard him. That man… Kagami was close to him, wasn't he? There was no way his psyche was unscathed from witnessing something like that. Struggling to lift his head just a centimeter off the ground, Kuroko focused on the strange men that attacked and surrounded them. Their garb was only vaguely familiar, but one thing was for sure—they were _not_ soldiers of the Empire. So then… if they attacked them, who were they and what did they want with Kagami-kun?

That aside, what was even more perplexing was the fact that they were able to indentify and hit him without much of a problem. Not even the Empire's own forces could seek him out so easily, even if he wanted them to.

'_They must have an Awakened being in their ranks… But where?'_

They were in danger, and Kagami-kun had no chance on his own. He hoped he realized that as well, but before Kuroko could ask him again to run away, the other released a strangled roar before lunging for Inoue-san's killer.

"_Kagami-kun, no—!_"

He took them by surprise when the redhead tackled him to the ground, knocking the knife out of his hand. The man was back on his feet in no time, pulling a revolver from his holster, but Kagami elbowed him in the gut and disarmed him a second time before he could pull the trigger. He couldn't help but stare in amazement. His movements were sloppy and inefficient, but for an untrained civilian, Kagami-kun wasn't unskilled.

"_Can you fight?"_

_Kagami looked up from his reflection in the tea and Kuroko could tell he's just about had it with the random questions thrown at him. "I guess I know how to."_

_Kagetora pinched the bridge of his nose. "Again. That wasn't what I asked, but I suppose it'll do for now."_

Before Kagami could land another hit, the others had gotten a hold of themselves and drew their guns. The closest two charged him and Kagami grabbed one before stomping him into the ground, but he was unable to keep up (it was six versus one after all) and Kuroko watched helplessly as the butt of a rifle smashed into his face, stopping him in his tracks. As Kagami-kun fell to his knees with a line of blood trickling from his nose, the leader whom he attacked grabbed him by his hair to keep him from falling over. No one had eyes for Kuroko, only Kagami whom they surrounded, eager to take turns striking him with their weapons. The whole scuffle probably took less than a minute, and at this rate…

Kuroko's fingers twitched—his body was limb but his head was aflame with desperation. Kagami-kun was in danger and no one was around to help them. He had to move, but he could only let out a single cry of frustration as the enduring weight on his being refused to lift.

-x-X-x-

It was a burst of pain that snapped him out of it. Grabbing the man and throwing him to the ground seemed like all a blur as he struggled to steady his vision that swam with stars.

"You fucking brat. You have no idea who we are," he heard that filtered voice hiss at him as someone tugged at the back of his hair, forcing his head upwards. If his cheek weren't swollen stiff, he'd be smirking. Of course he didn't know who they were since they wore those dumb ass masks to hide their ugly faces. "We can't kill you, but you'll be begging us to soon enough."

That hand forced him to look forward, at the bloody heap of the one who had taken care of him all these years. He hardly remembered his first parents, but… but this was the only semblance of a home he'd been hoping to return to, and there it was, bled out and empty.

'_This again…_'

"I'll kill you."

The grip tightened. "What did you say?"

This time, he craned his head on his own, glazed eyes wide and mad, the fire still simmering in his depths. "I said I'll fucking kill you."

He wanted to see that face and see its smugness melt to fear—the same fear the old man must have felt—as he buried that same knife into flesh, but once again, that bulky gas mask hid everything and all he could do was glare knives through the tinted glass as he braced himself for a mouthful of gun.

"Sir, someone's coming."

Kagami let out a grunt as he ate dirt instead when the one holding him threw him into the ground in favor of pointing his gun at whoever it was.

Rolling onto his back, he made out a tall figure with ashy brown hair and matching eyes through the settling dust. He was donned in a familiar uniform and as he walked closer, Kagami caught a glimpse of the three-pointed insignia of Seirin sewn to his sleeve. He also had both rather large hands raised over his shoulders with a mildly surprised expression on his face.

"Oops," said the man as he came to a stop just yards away from them. God, he was huge—even at that distance, his shadow enveloped him, but what was more surprising was the tone of his voice. He sure didn't sound like someone walking in on a whole bunch of men armed with military-grade rifles, but then again… "I was hoping you guys wouldn't notice me, but I guess I have no choice then. Please hand those two over to me." His hands dropped to his side and Kagami heard several clicks as the masked men fumbled with their own weapons like they've never used them before.

There was something strange about this guy… well, that was obvious enough, but he had a different smell that he couldn't really describe.

'_It's only one guy and he doesn't have anything drawn… but maybe it's because they feel it too,_' He thought to himself, fixated on his potential savior.

"...Or else what, you'll kill us?" The supposed leader finally asked after a moment of stunned silence; his words drew laughs from all around and it seemed the effect the stranger had on them was broken just like that.

The uniformed man blinked. "Kill? No, I can't really do that, sorry." He tilted his head, mouth turning up in a crooked smile that was rather meek for the situation. "But if you don't give them to me, I'll have to retrieve them myself." His eyes fell on Kagami before resting on the body that laid not too far from him. Something akin to a shadow passed over his face and Kagami felt shivers climb up his spine.

"Don't you fucking mock us," the other said, stepping further away from him and closer to the stranger. "We know exactly where you're from and if a kid like you—"

It happened so quickly, if he had blinked, Kagami would've missed it. In less than a second it took for him to finish his sentence, the stranger closed the distance between them, a strange blade crackling with electricity in his grip. Kagami watched him throw Inoue's killer to the ground with just one arm before stabbing his gun in its muzzle with his own weapon, the tip piercing easily into the metal.

The others got a hold of themselves and wasted no more time in shooting, but the stranger ducked out of their line of fire and rolled to his side, blade lifted to block an incoming rifle whip to the head. The stream of bullets came to a stop when Kagami came into range.

"Sorry," he said, low enough for only Kagami to hear, "but can you go check on Kuroko?"

It took him a second to find his words. "They want me alive. If I leave then they'll just shoot at you."

The stranger cracked a smile. "It's all right. They miscalculated."

He wasn't sure what was there to miscalculate when all he had was some straight-edge sword (more like an oversized knife) versus a handful of semi-automatics pointed at him. Even so, Kagami didn't want to be in the middle of whatever this guy had planned, so he bit his tongue and made a break for it. Someone tried to stop him, but the stranger was close behind, jabbing the man in the throat with the handle of his blade before turning around in full circle to bring two more people down with him.

'_This guy's a monster,'_ Kagami thought as he slid on his knees to Kuroko's side. He was still paralyzed but the faintest twitching of his irises told him he was conscious… although barely.

"Can you talk?" He asked him, tugging at the device that electrocuted him earlier, but it was firmly attached to his skin and he gave up, afraid of causing any more damage.

Kuroko nodded, struggling to turn his head to see what was going on. "S-Seirin…?"

"I guess," he answered, taking his stiff body into his arms to carry him to a safer place. "I think he's on our side… But I don't know why he's alone."

Kuroko didn't reply as his head lolled against his chest. He grimaced—even though there was no blood, he was probably worse off compared to the last time he was injured.

Crouching down to one knee, Kagami gently propped him up against one of the wooden posts that supported the roof to the porch of the store so the two of them could watch what was going on.

It was like witnessing an expert doing what he did best. The stranger was tall, yet his movements were far from bumbling or wasteful despite his rather bulky build. Kagami gulped—he looked harmless at first, even clumsy, but each strike, whether it be to the sternum, gut, side, or throat, was heavy-handed and true to its mark. He'd call him merciless if he didn't notice that the stranger hadn't caused a single drop of blood to spill with the sharp end to his blade.

'_It's not like he's having trouble now… but wouldn't it be easier just to cut them down rather than beat them over and over again with the wrong end?_'

When the man from Seirin sliced through the last gun, it was clear that he had the upper hand. After sheathing the blade, he struck the heads of the others with the scabbard, effectively knocking them out before they could even lay a single finger on him.

Without saying a thing, he watched the stranger approach Inoue-san's body and with gentle hands, turn it onto its back. His mouth moved, but Kagami couldn't hear what he was saying before he placed a palm over those lifeless eyes to shut them… for good.

He choked back something as he shut his eyes, but the soft warmth that touched his shaking hands reopened them. Kuroko was looking up at him, his own hand trembling before it fell back down to his side.

These were the consequences of his choices… this was what he risked, and this was what he got. Kagami could bite through his lip. _'This isn't a dream… Damn it, damn it all.'_

The porch steps creaked before the stranger stood before him, offering a brief salute. "I'm Kiyoshi Teppei of the Seirin faction of the Resistance," he said, echoing the past two introductions given by Aida and Hyuuga, but unlike them, he didn't give a title. His face softened in sympathy when he lowered his hand. "I'm sorry for what happened—it would seem that I didn't arrive on time…"

No he didn't, not at all, but Kagami didn't want to think about that right now; he didn't want to remember how deep the knife cut, or how much blood had soaked into the ground. "How did you find us?"

Kiyoshi gestured towards the broken cuff still attached to Kuroko's wrist. "Didn't Riko tell you she'd send in a team the instant she lost signal? Well, it's just me here, but I was in town after coming back from my last mission."

Kagami nodded idly as he looked at the black-clad figures with simmering contempt. "Inoue-san has a family… How am I going to tell them...?"

Kiyoshi lowered his gaze. "We already found them, but… it's too late. They've been dead for over a day."

No. That wasn't right. He couldn't believe it—he tried to scramble to his feet only for his shaking knees to give out from below him. "No, no way… She's just a kid… younger than I am. There's no way they'd—" His words died in his throat as the possibility sunk in.

The brunet frowned as he turned halfway around, looking at the resting corpse. "These people don't believe they need leverage to achieve their goals, nor do they honor their bargains. They do and take what they want without compromise… it's unpleasant and you saw for yourself what they're capable of."

Kagami paled as his own words echoed within his head, the very same ones that practically signed Inoue's death warrant. Of course his big mouth wouldn't get himself killed, only others.

The other looked back at him with unwavering patience that should've been beyond his age. "Whatever you're thinking, it's not your fault. They wear no emblem, but I can tell you they're aligned with neither the Resistance nor the Empire. Until we can figure out why they came after you, you should let yourself rest."

"And then what?"

He crouched down to eye level and Kagami couldn't help but notice a strip of bandage wrapped around his throat. "I won't try to force or convince you to go anywhere, but I believe you already know what your options are. Whatever decision you make from here, I'll respect it."

Kagami dropped his head at that as he distantly wondered if he was making fun of him. Of course… it was just like the day of the Shinagawa-Shinjuku incident—he had no choices from the start. All roads lead to one door, and that door was "Seirin".

'_Have it your way then,' _he thought with a mirthless smile to nothing in particular but Fate. _'Do your worst.'_

-x-X-x-

They rode in the back of a pickup truck as evening gave way to night. As they drove further and further away from the city, the stars grew brighter, twinkling as always like nothing was wrong with the world.

Kagami leaned against the walls of the truck bed. It was just him and Kuroko with the latter curled against his side, fast asleep while the others were in the actual car.

"_He'll live," Kiyoshi said after checking his vital signs. "But Riko will need to see him herself for any permanent damage."_

The summer warmth descended into a chill and Kagami slipped his own fleece blanket onto Kuroko who didn't move an inch. He watched him sleep while his small chest rose and fell with each silent breath. He probably had the worst luck around him, and yet for the third time since their fateful meeting, Kuroko chose to stay by his side.

'_You're like a damn puppy.'_

He was sick of it—all of it, his friends hurting, his loved ones dying. For the longest time, Kagami had firmly believed he would never have to experience that pain again if he lived a quiet life under the watchful eyes of the Regime. He had believed he'd have no reason to suffer if he gave up on the wild dreams of freedom he had as a child, if he bowed to the will of others, if he turned a blind eye to the suffering of others; but that wasn't who he was, and that wasn't what he was meant to be.

He was fucking stupid. Stupid for forgetting.

"Oi Kuroko, can you hear me?" He spoke softly, carefully placing a hand over the other's shoulder to keep the blanket from blowing away in the wind. "I finally remember it… the reason I fought. The old man was onto something, wasn't he? I think I know now what he was asking—money, a house, safety, who needs it? I don't want to sit here and watch someone else take the things I love away from me because I was too weak.

"I want to fight, Kuroko… I'm going to become stronger and I won't let something like this happen ever again."

* * *

_A/N: Six chapters in and Kagami finally has a resolution. No daily file for today but that can wait~ Hope you guys enjoyed and thanks again for reading!_


	7. The General of the North

_He feels his skin splitting under the heat as the fenced-in fields behind him that had seemed so wide and open go up in flames, glowing tendrils grappling for a sky that's still so far out of reach._

_He casts one last look over his shoulder as something warm and wet runs from his eyes, the last remnants of his makeshift home, his only haven, consumed. He looks forward and back over the cliff beckoning him, this time the wind more insistent than ever as it fans the fire, yet shields the boy from the blistering heat. It urges him to step forward and they both know if he doesn't, then surely…_

"_Aren't you going to jump this time, Taiga?"_

_He shakes his head for the umpteenth time, covering his ears as he gnashes his teeth together, catching gum and drawing blood. His knees bend and he bows his head inches before the drop, shaking, but never moving from where he crouched. He's afraid to look behind him, but too afraid to move on because he's weak, weak, we—_

Kagami awoke with a start, gasping and choking as he tried to wipe his face dry with the back of his hand, realizing he was drenched with tears, not sweat. He clenched his eyes shut, salt water flowing freely as he curled up on himself atop the unfamiliar bed.

'_Tatsuya… Tatsuya I'm so sorry.'_

Within the minute, he fell back within a darkness free of fire, cliffs, and dead memories.

-x-X-x-

**Chapter VII: **The General of the North

-x-X-x-

When Kiyoshi came through that door with his arms open wide, Riko couldn't help dropping what she was doing at the moment to give him one eager embrace that was days overdue. Not without decking him in the face with the nearest book, however, and spending the next ten minutes nursing his bloody nose.

"You overdid it," said Hyuuga unhelpfully as he stood over them, watching her replace the soiled gauze as Kiyoshi sat their idly, taking her treatment with a pathetically wrinkled nose that seemed to be holding back a sneeze.

"I know, sorry, sorry—" She apologized, planting a fleeting kiss on the older man's nose. It probably hurt, but Kiyoshi kept himself from flinching and she appreciated that. "—But you kind of deserved it! Didn't I tell you to wait for backup before you rushed in there by yourself?"

"Ahh—you did?" The brunet asked through the gauze he held in place as she straightened her back. "'M sorry. I dought dere wuzn' enouff dime."

She sighed, planting her wrists on her hips. Neither of them knew the situation when Kuroko literally fell off the radar—for all she knew, it could've been a malfunctioning signal or a huge ambush, and going by her gut and natural desire _not_ to send Teppei to his potential death, Riko ordered him back. In the end, it was his own decision that kept Seirin from losing both Kuroko and Kagami to the other sides.

The two were fine and that was all she could ask for. It couldn't be helped, but Kuroko would be out of commission for at least a week before he could make a full recovery (the strange device was set aside and she made note to submit it to the lab for analysis). However, Kagami was absolutely remarkable—she thought she saw enough, but his hold on reality was nothing short of extraordinary and if she didn't know better, she'd never guess that he was a mere civilian.

On top of that, Kiyoshi successfully opened negotiations between Seirin and Kaijou, the most influential faction in the country. More than anything, she should be thanking him, and so she did.

"I know…Thank you, Teppei. You made this a good week for Seirin," she finally said, glad to have him back safe and sound as her nose buried itself amongst his unkempt hair. "But we need you to tell us everything that happened."

Hyuuga pulled up a chair as Kiyoshi recounted the incident with Kagami. Only when he reached the aftermath did Riko's brows knit together in confusion.

"All six of them… they were dead when you took off their masks? But you didn't…"

"Yes, but… Their suits were filled with nothing but ash and… and rotting flesh by the time I could check…" his words trailed off as Kiyoshi looked away, reflections of the incident still flickering within his depths. Of course it'd be just like him to blame himself for what happened. "It was too late for them."

Riko watched Hyuuga's eyes darken as the three of them came to the same conclusion. Human beings mysteriously self-destructing without any fatal injuries were the tell-tale sign of only one thing. "…Kirisaki Daichi." The name hung heavy with contempt as it quivered in the air. Their modus operandi was gruesome and ruthless, yet infuriatingly successful in preventing any of the true Resistance factions, or the Regime itself, in unraveling their secrets. Who they were, where they came from, the name of their leader—it was a mystery that claimed lives every day.

Kiyoshi tossed away the last bit of gauze, nose dry but still a little swollen. All semblance of that reassuring warmth slipped from his face at the mention of the most notorious, but obscure, terrorist faction in the region. "Riko, Hyuuga, I have a request."

She didn't like the sound of that. The way his voice lowered, or the way the light in his eyes dimmed with a fog that was just as cloudy as his intentions, told her he was plotting something and she hated his damn habit of flying solo when he preached teamwork from the sidelines, but she only tilted her chin and swallowed her fears, the way a true commander should. "What is it?"

He took a breath. Hyuuga stared at him with enough scrutiny to pierce through metal and she knew he thought the same thing. "From now on, with every skirmish against Kirisaki Daichi, I want you to put me on the vanguard."

Riko was ready to smack him with a second volume but Hyuuga beat her to the punch when he seized him by the shoulders, almost knocking the taller man over.

"Don't be an idiot!" He barked, glasses threatening to slip of the bridge of his nose. "We need you here in Tokyo, not down south fighting _terrorists_."

Kiyoshi met his anger with eyes that spelled only determination. "Twelve innocents were injured today when a bomb went off in the Central Square." He glanced at her as he continued, "You know it's strange that Kirisaki Daichi, Seirin, Kaijou, and the Regime were all in the same city on the same day, Hyuuga. I won't have to leave for the south when they plan on bringing the fight here."

Hyuuga let go of him, practically steaming through clenched teeth, and Riko hated standing there, not knowing what to say.

"We'll never let those sons of bitches get the upper hand," he said. "We'll put together the right teams to fight them when the time comes. Whether that puts you on the vanguard or not hasn't been decided so don't be an idiot and determine that for yourself!"

That wasn't what he asked for, but she knew Kiyoshi wasn't one to push it when Hyuuga got like this.

"Then Kirisaki Daichi is responsible for the attack," Riko said, drawing the conversation away from them. "I knew Kaijou wouldn't pull a stunt like that. Speaking of which, you said something about coming to Tokyo with the General himself, Teppei. What did he need in the city?"

Kiyoshi blinked as if the thought escaped him. "Huh? Well.. haha, I didn't really think of asking him. It wasn't my business or anything, so…"

That time, Riko really did smack him over the head, careful not to make him bleed again but having half a mind to considering _he missed something pretty damn important_.

"I'm tired," she declared, throwing her arms down in defeat. "We'll talk about this tomorrow when those two wake up." She jabbed a finger into his face as Teppei nursed his head with an equally injured expression. "And _you! _You better get some goddamn rest or I'm kicking your ass back to Kaijou!"

-x-X-x-

When Kuroko visited him that morning, the tear stains were unmistakable, but Kagami looked neither distressed nor troubled in his sleep, so he let him be.

He collapsed in the nearest chair, too weak to actually pull it up closer to the other's bedside. Grimacing, he looked own at his own hands that trembled violently in his lap—making it all the way to Kagami's room from the infirmary sapped him of most of his strength and now he couldn't even sit still. Riko ordered him to stay in bed for the entire day, but considering his lack of presence, she couldn't enforce it as he snuck around base under the radar.

Kagami's eyes shot open when the clock struck seven. For several minutes, Kuroko only watched him silently as the other remained where he was, staring at the ceiling without even the slightest tremor of a muscle.

Tired of waiting, he finally spoke. "Good morning, Kagami-kun."

That sure woke him up as Kagami sat upright in his bed, giving his entire room a once-over before scowling in his general direction. Kuroko only blinked meekly.

"Shit, didn't I tell you not to do that? How long were you there anyway?"

"About a minute ago," Kuroko lied. "You should get ready, the heads of Seirin want to see you."

Kagami only grumbled at that, furiously rubbing his hair with one hand. "Did she send you to tell me that?"

"No, I'm not supposed to be here. Someone else mentioned it on my way over."

Kagami's expression softened, looking more tired than usual as those ever-present bags hung from his eyes. He shifted a little, turning his torso so that he could face him completely. "I'm surprised you're here—you shouldn't of forced yourself, but how are you feeling?"

"Awful," he replied, lifting a hand to demonstrate. "I can hardly control my body and it's difficult for me to hold a single thought more than a couple seconds. In all honestly, I should be in bed right now."

He caught a glimpse of the other's toned belly as he rolled his eyes, tossing his sheets aside and hopping onto his feet to do a series of stretches, as if yesterday never happened. "Then you should've stayed in bed, idiot," Kagami replied. "No one asked you to come."

He never expected Kagami to be the most eloquent and tactful person in the world, but Kuroko couldn't help but feel a little offended at that. He puffed his chest a little—as far as his strength would allow him—as he gave him a rather resentful pout. "No, but I'm capable of acting outside of what people ask me to do."

For some reason, that seemed to strike the wrong chord as Kagami's eyes widened before he turned away. "…Yeah, of course. Sorry."

Now he was the one feeling guilty. He didn't expect an apology from someone so unrefined and he was only half-teasing too. It wasn't that Kagami blamed himself for this, was it?

'_We could've made different choices or exercised better judgment… but it's pointless to dwell on what could've been or what we should've done. Even so, Kagami-kun must be…' _

He didn't say anything more as the other continued his routine, the mood taking a turn for the worse. Kagami didn't even bother asking him to leave as he changed his clothes for the Seirin-issued shirt and khakis, apparently preoccupied with whatever thoughts went on in that head of his. Kuroko noticed a shoebox placed at the foot of his bed, but Kagami only walked past it without sparing it so much as a glance.

They left his room together, navigating the corridors side-by-side just like the first night they spent here when Aida brought home an injured Kuroko and a shaken Kagami.

"It wasn't a dream then…" Kagami said softly as he half-carried Kuroko the rest of the way. "I can never go back there, can I…?"

Kuroko shut his eyes, knowing this would've come up sooner if not later. "I'm sorry, Kagami-kun," was all he could say, hating his lack of way with words, but Kagami didn't reply or push him away—rather, he only squeezed his wrist as if he were afraid of letting go lest he lose him too.

He was met with the Commander's unique eyes that continued to shift and whir like gears, but she didn't pause to scold him for leaving the infirmary as Kagami helped him into the nearest chair.

"Kagami-kun," she acknowledged and they both knew then and there that Seirin's commander owed him more than an apology, but Kagami demanded none when he spared each of the three Resistance members a single glance before taking his own seat. Kuroko could only eye him warily, expecting him to explode at any minute. But he didn't.

Aida Riko wasn't alone—to her left was the captain, as expected, and to her right was the strange man Kuroko barely recognized from before. His face was filled with nothing but warmth, solemn but welcoming as if he were accustomed to wearing such an expression. And yet… his presence radiated something strange and powerful, filling the Awakened one with unshakable uneasiness. What was even stranger were the spotless bandages wrapped around his neck, barely hidden by the collar of his uniform. Not used to the attention, he couldn't help but shift in his seat when that person smiled gently at him as if Kuroko's presence was worth recognizing before he brimmed with sympathy at the sight of his still-shaking limbs.

If Kuroko wasn't mistaken, then… then he was the same as him, but Aida Riko never mentioned working beside another Awakened being.

It was Kagami's rough voice that pulled his attentions away from the third Resistance member. "I heard you want to see me… or us—" he glanced at Kuroko, "—so here we are, I guess."

Riko nodded. "That's right. I know what happened last night, and I want to tell you I owe you every apology possible."

Kagami's face didn't change, but Kuroko caught his fists closing together under the table, hidden from the others' view. "You're not the one who slit the old man's throat." Even as he said so, there was a certain measure of bitterness in his voice. "But I do have one question for you."

The young woman tilted her chin expectantly. "What is it?"

"Did you know something like that would happen if I came back?"

She shook her head and Kuroko knew she did it in earnest. "I knew something similar would've happened with or without you, as in, I guessed after your face was made known to the Regime, you would have no home to return to. However, I was wrong in more than one way—I didn't think anything would specifically depend on your return, and I didn't think any group outside of the Regime would interfere."

Kagami frowned. "What do you mean by that? So you know who's responsible?"

The three of them shared heavy glances as Hyuuga leaned forward to answer. "Kiyoshi probably mentioned it, but the Empire wasn't responsible this time. The group of men who were after you were part of a terrorist organization called 'Kirisaki Daichi'."

Kuroko stiffened when he immediately recognized that name. They were the most notorious terrorist cell known to the Empire. They had no discernable goal outside of causing as much panic or razing as many towns as possible, nor a permanent headquarters for the Generation of Miracles to target and stamp out. Momoi speculated their origins were located in the south even though their attacks ranged all over the country and he could only guess that every nook and cranny in the Arids served as their base.

On top of that, the Empire suffered a disproportionate amount of fatalities when it came to missions involving the group. It must be the same for the Resistance factions as well.

"I get it then," Kagami replied, eerily calm. "So what was it that you called us here for?"

Riko seemed to have to noticed the same thing, but she knew better than to point it out. "It's about our joint mission with Kaijou—_your_ first major mission in the upcoming weeks, and you'll be on the field alongside Kuroko." She nodded towards him. "After he recovers completely of course.

"Our two factions will be meeting in the north, on Kaijou territory near Fukushima where the Fukushima Prison is located. It's an internment camp reserved for captured Resistance soldiers, political dissidents, and those guilty of a capital offense, but the public doesn't know that since it's disguised as a regular correctional facility. You've probably guessed it by now, but we're organizing a giant prison break and we'll need you in order to do that, Kagami-kun."

The redhead arched a brow, baffled. "Why me?'

"Because you're wanted for three counts of murder," the one named Kiyoshi answered, "Of course, that's what the Tokyo police force was told, but we and the Empire's special forces know the truth."

"So you're using Kagami-kun as both bait and mole," Kuroko said, reminding the others that he was still there. "That's dangerous."

"It'll be difficult," he admitted. "You're our most obvious choice, Kagami, but we have other options as well, so you have every right to re—"

"I'll do it," Kagami said without batting an eye, surprising them all. "Losing control of a major prison is gonna be a huge pain in the ass for them, won't it? Then sign me up as soon as possible, but I want to know about these Kaijou guys if we're fighting with them."

The commander opened and closed her mouth, lost for words for a moment. Like the rest of them, she probably didn't see that coming, especially after what he went through the previous day, and Kuroko sympathized with her—Kagami-kun was less predictable than they both thought.

"Um, well Kaijou is…" She laughed a little. "Kaijou is… probably the most powerful faction of the Resistance, and they're lead by the General of the North."

-x-X-x-

_The previous day._

"Who the hell would call themselves that," Kasamatsu asked him as he flipped idly through the papers for the daily crossword puzzle. "Doesn't he have an actual name?"

"No one knows it," Kise told him, as sweet as a schoolgirl fawning over her crush. Maybe the General of the North was exactly that to him—it lit a fire within his dead heart to daydream about hunting down the faceless leader of the Resistance and watching him squirm powerlessly before he tore his throat open to let him bleed out like any regular human being. "Rumor has it the General doesn't really exist, that he's just a character made-up to boost the rebel morale. What do you think?"

"To hell what I think—what're you doing, asking me to drink coffee with you while you bring up random crap like that?" He must've been blushing because the older man glared at him with disgust as he wrote _dissension _in the ten-box long line. "If you want to gossip, I suggest you share a cup of tea with those women over there."

But he had no interest in them, Kise thought. Aside from the General himself, he only had eyes for one person, and that person was sitting before him unawares. It gave him shivers just thinking about what it'd be like to slowly pry him open.

"Just making convo'," the blonde innocently replied as he watched him write _ocean _next. His yellow eyes traveled from the paper, to his knuckles, and to his duffel before finally settling on a slender bag leaning against the table. "Are you a photographer, Senpai?"

Kasamatsu peered up at him again, this time with suspicion rather than plain annoyance. "How'd you know?"

"Well, that's a tripod, isn't it?"

Kasamatsu planted his palm atop the said tripod, patting it once. "It's more like a stupid metal rod, but yeah, I suppose so. Do you take any photos yourself, Kise?"

Kise almost dropped his cup. That was the first time he actually called him by his name since he introduced himself, and it sounded so… so unfamiliar, yet pleasant rolling off his tongue like that. Something within his chest stuttered, but before Kise could regain himself, Kasamatsu threw his arms over his shoulders and dragged him underneath the table without so much as a word.

Not a split second later did the glass beside them shatter completely, sending shards flying through the air as the ground shook beneath their knees. Kise didn't realize he was covering his ears as several people screamed from both within and outside the coffee shop. The shockwave sent everyone to the ground, some nursing injuries while others sat there in shock.

'_What the hell was that?' _

Silence broken only by car alarms followed next as the two of them waited in baited silence with Kasamatsu using his bag to shield them both from any more falling debris. Thanks to his impossible timing, the two of them were uninjured and Kise couldn't help but stare in awe at the man beside him—he was used to most humans screaming like monkeys, or crying like children, but this person was nothing like them as he draped one arm over him protectively.

One woman wailed, followed by several others as everyone simultaneously realized what just happened_. _When nothing else went off, Kasamatsu threw his bag over his shoulder and carefully surfaced, using their table as a barrier to see what was going on outside. Kise followed him, staying close by his side.

People cleared from the streets, running away from what seemed to be the burning metallic skeleton of a car. The Awakened one wrinkled his nose at the smell of it, more pissed about the interruption than anything else.

"Are you hurt, Senpai? There should be a hospital near—" He reached for him, but the other swatted his hands away.

"Do I look hurt?" He snapped. "What about you?"

"I-I'm fine—"

Kasamatsu nodded. Without warning, he grabbed his things and ran outside, and from the broken window, Kise watched him deliver first aid to the closest person he found lying on the shattered asphalt. The sight of blood normally sent pleasant shivers down Kise's spine, but the other was so calm and collected doing what he did that Kise forgot what he was here for in the city. Sitting amongst the rubble in pure fascination, the fox forgot his resentment.

-x-X-x-

He made sure to leave the scene before the metro police arrived, leaving behind not a single footprint or sign that he'd been there.

Kasamatsu rinsed the blood from his hands in a nearby drinking fountain, blocking the echoes of screaming men and the flurry of chaos that took over the Central Square as easily as any other experienced veteran. He adjusted his earpiece, looking over his shoulder once to make sure he was alone before turning the corner to find some solitude. The metro police were probably on the scene and security would be tightened—if that correspondent from Seirin planned on leaving the city, Yukio only hoped he left before they sealed the borders.

"_Sir, do you read?"_

"Loud and clear, Moriyama," he replied, his Shirasaya for his Nokogiri bouncing reassuringly against his back. The fool called it a tripod.

"_We weren't able to stop the attack and Nakamura isn't responding—what should we do, Captain?"_

"Pull back and wait—the police have it under control and I shouldn't have to tell you that we should stay out of their way." Blue eyes darkened at that. Kaijou caught wind of the planned attack days earlier and he knew it was preventable, but it was neither their priority nor responsibility to protect Regime-controlled territory. In fact, the Empire knew about it too—they had the same information they did, probably more, and they did nothing to stop the attack, not that Kasamatsu expected them to. Terrorists sowed fear, and people who are scared were more willing to forgive the loss of their rights. As long as these attacks happened, as long as people died, then their control would hold firm.

Kasamatsu hated it.

"…As for Nakamura, he must've severed his line for good reason. Find his location as soon as possible and let me know when you find something interesting."

"_Understood, Captain. What about the Awakened one?"_

He didn't even bat an eyelid as he recalled the blonde youth who radiated sunshine and sickeningly sweet charisma, but all of it meant nothing when Kasamatsu knew what he was beneath that smile.

"He was just as Seirin's commander described. Kiyoshi Teppei was right—her information _is_ top-notch. After this, I want you to open a line of contact between us and Seirin since they've held their part of the agreement."

-x-X-x-

When the police finally arrived to clear the scene and place the entire city on lockdown, the young man already disappeared and Kise realized, for the first time ever, he let his prey escape him as he sat there in a daze.

"Ah shit, then this was a waste," he groaned, combing his fingers through his hair before his cell phone went off, screaming shrilly in his pocket.

More annoyed than anything, Kise answered it and figured a little too late that it was Momoi calling.

"Ah—sorry about your coffee! I got held up and a car exploded, but I'll buy you a new one somehow—since I ran out of money, but—"

"_Never mind that!"_ Momoi snapped at him from the other end. Sheesh, what was it with people today? He was in a bad mood too, but nobody saw _him_ being a hissy little… _"The General of the North is in Tokyo right now! Did you see him? Of course not because you're a total dunce, Ki-chan. I don't have his coordinates yet, but we have a team of five tracking him right now~ He should be in the same vicinity and the boss wants you on the scene."_

"Ah, speak of the devil," Kise hummed, grinning from ear to ear as he dipped his head away from view. He liked attention, but now wasn't the time. "You sure it's the real thing? He has a bounty on his head, so why would the General be prancing around in Tokyo?"

"_I don't know," _Momoi answered impatiently, _"But our guys found one of his top-ranked men, so this info's straight from the source!"_

"Did you get a name?"

"_No, but none of that will matter if we capture him, so hurry your butt up, Ki-chan."_

There was a spring to his step as he walked past an ambulance parked in the middle of the road as a pair of paramedics loaded the gurney into the back. "I met someone really cool today, Momoicchi~" He practically gushed. "I wanted to see his face so badly as I opened him up, but he got away. This makes up for everything, though—thank you so much."

-x-X-x-

"_Captain, we're getting five readings headed for your location."_

"It was only a matter of time. Bring me some place where we won't be interrupted."

"_Yes, sir. We'll send backup, but please be careful."_

Kasamatsu gave him the affirmative before hopping off the line. He swung his duffle bag to his front, zipping it open to fish a black and gold object from its depths.

He spared a few precious seconds to study the face that snarled up at him, carved fangs glistening with metallic paint while two small horns adorned either side of the demon's temples. Where there should be pupils were two gaping black holes for his own eyes to see through. Presence icing over, the General of the North slipped the mask on and "Kasamatsu Yukio" disappeared with the image of his face.

Moriyama lead him to the outer districts of Tokyo, further and further away from the chaos that took over its heart, until the General found himself leaning over a bamboo bridge in the middle of a deserted tea garden. He watched the pond's residents glide lazily beneath his feet, unperturbed by the presence that hovered above them.

It was strange to think that such creatures, whose wings spread and folded so gracefully underneath the water's surface, were content with spending the entirety of their lives within this tiny pond. It's not like he'd find them in the ocean or lakes, but that was only due to centuries of human meddling. These fish simply forgot what horizons the open waters bore.

"_Kaijou." _Ever-flowing towards the ocean, such was the way of nature, and humans were not fish to be caged within a puddle of water.

"How's Tokyo treating you?"

He didn't bother turning around at first when his ears picked up five pairs of footsteps trampling the carefully manicured grass. Only when the name of his subordinate came up did he slowly turn to face them, cold steel eyes glaring daggers through the demon's gaze.

"Are you the real thing?" One of the men asked as he leaned on one leg, pivoting his knife back and forth. He was a part of the Special Ops—a force made purely of Awakened beings. They rarely carried guns or explosives with them, preferring the old-fashioned blade so that they could savor the feel of flesh ripping beneath metal while warmth bled into the cracks of their fingers. "It only took one person—Shinya Nakamura, wasn't it? To find you, and here you are, alone and without a bodyguard like a proper captain. Are you making fun of us?"

Kasamatsu didn't answer while another spoke up, pointing his own tiny knife that was probably better suited for carving apples. His upper lip twitched at the cheekiness. "Yeah, he was a real piece of work. Ten fingers in, and he _still_ wouldn't spill your locations. He even cut the lines so we couldn't find his buddies. How noble…" He sneered the last bit out like it was a curse as Kasamatsu's blood flowed chill within his veins.

He eyed the patch sewn to every one of their sleeves before he dropped his duffle bag to the ground with a resounding _plop_.

It was funny, funny how human they looked when they were mere abominations.

"You're all a part of the Special Ops," he finally said, distorted voice reverberating off the polished walls of his mask. "So you're all Awakened ones?"

"That's right," the same one replied like it was something to be proud of as he knocked the dull end of his blade against his shoulder. "We were modeled after the most powerful soldier in existence, so you should just surrender now if you know that much." From his back, he pulled a round object the size and weight of a bowling ball wrapped tightly in a bloody cloth before tossing it to the ground. It rolled to his feet and the General didn't have to unwrap it to know what it was. "At least you, as their leader, have that privilege."

That made five. Five men he lost this week alone, and there these monsters stood before him as five more offerings.

Kasamatsu undid the strap that held the Shirasaya to his back. The object fell with a _thud, _held steady by the palm of his hand. What unraveled from the sleeve wasn't a camera stand, or anything close to it. What he pulled out by the hilt was a loaded scabbard polished a deep navy blue.

Mask shadowed by the setting sun, Kasamatsu pulled on the blade that rattled with bloodlust within its sheath, revealing folded steel that danced with electricity along its edge. He dropped the saya to the ground, sparks flying from the katana that trembled in his grip with a distinct hum.

"Moriyama," he breathed into his ear piece as he descended from the bridge.

"_Yes, Captain?"_

"Cancel all backup."

-x-X-x-

"Who's the General of the North?" Kagami asked, mouth a straight line and eyes hooded with skepticism. He tried not to scoff at how _gaudy_ the moniker was.

"It'd be a stretch to call him the strongest soldier in the Resistance, but he's arguably the most powerful," Hyuuga answered, all business and no play. "Five years ago, Kaijou suffered a crippling defeat near Fukushima where they lost all five of their original generals. The faction was doomed to crumble until this person rose up and single-handedly brought Kaijou back from its ashes. He didn't stop there, however. In the following years, the General united the five northern factions; Seiho, Senshinkan, Josei, Onita, and Nakamiya under Kaijou, giving his own faction control of the top half of Japan, but their influence runs so wide that you can find them virtually anywhere.

"Simply put, he's our strongest ally right now," Riko added, crossing her arms. "The Empire wants his head on a silver platter so he lays low. Because of that, we don't know much else about him including his real name and Kiyoshi here is the only one amongst us who's actually seen him."

"Eh, he's a little scary," Kiyoshi said, laughing a little as he scratched his cheek. "But his leadership skills are superb~ I believe we'll be in good hands, considering his reputation too."

"Reputation?" He asked, tilting his head. "Besides his nickname?"

"Right, you don't know…" The captain whistled, folding his arms behind his head as he leaned back. Unimpressed, Kagami only stared at him until he continued, "He's the only one in the world who's actually killed one of the Generation of Miracles."

Something cold trickled down his back as he felt Kuroko lurch beside him, trembling until his very seat shook. If they once worked together, than Kuroko must've known him. Were they friends?

"And more than anything," Hyuuga continued, "he despises Awakened beings the most."

-x-X-x-

Momoi's directions lead him to the westernmost part of Tokyo, where the city bustle was more of an echo of traffic (or in this case, sirens) in the distance.

The destination was a nameless tea garden in the middle of nowhere and he distantly wondered why the General would be in a place like this. Perhaps he was a romanticist and Kise didn't mind a romanticist, but what he found there sent him to his knees, a hand plastered firmly to his mouth to hold back bile.

Corpses that bore the same insignia as him were strewn about, their heads cut clean from their bodies and buried amongst the pebbles, grass, and bamboo. The blood that flowed freely from their necks transformed the cobblestone into a crimson lattice and tinted the water with rust. The smell of it still hung in the air and the gore was sticky beneath his fingers. These kills were fresh and Kise bet the bodies were still warm, but the General was no where to be found. Like a passing storm, he was gone and there was no sign aside from his murdered comrades that he'd been here in the first place.

Kise chuckled dryly as he clutched his stomach, doubling forward. He felt so sick, yet the laughter wouldn't stop. "A-Amazing…" He gasped. "He killed them—he really killed them all."

The General of the North was a real monster and Kise wondered if they were one in the same after all.

* * *

_Riko's Daily File:_

_HF-Blade:_ A supplementary, but highly important weapon similar to the Japanese Tanto used by the Resistance. Depending on how well-funded the faction is, only certain members* are allowed to regularly carry one during missions. The conventional blade is twelve inches with a six-inch handle, eighteen inches total, but some specimens have been modified to be longer or shorter to better suit their user or purpose. The high-speed vibrations (as evidenced by traces of electricity) allow for precise cuts through most materials with the side-effect of temporarily disabling an Awakened one's abilities upon contact. Recovery from being "stunned" can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours. Adversely, it takes a firm and steady hand, as well as stamina, to properly wield a HF-Blade lest the vibrations be more of a hindrance than an enhancement.

*anyone who is capable of fighting one-on-one with an Awakened being long enough to actually utilize the blade

* * *

_A/N: I apologize for the wait! I recently got a job at a burger place and I've been busy all day ahaha. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed and thank you again for your support!_


End file.
